Wolf's Moon
by Lost and Never Found
Summary: AU The Hunters have been hunting the werewolves, the Moon's Children, for ages. But will this latest mission prove to be that which tips the scales? And will it end in peace, or utter destruction? Kaiba/OC Yugi/Atem Ryou/Bakura Duke/Serenity
1. Chapter 1: Muyo

**Original AN: **Hey everyone, it's me again! I'm stealing onto a friend's computer to work on some new ideas of mine. No worries, though. Look in my profile for stats on all the old stories. I promise, they are there! Now that my notes are over, here's my new story: Wolf's Moon. Please R and R!!!!

**New AN: Okay, we're trying something funky here. I wanted to see what writing this in first person and just kinda jumping around in different point of views would be like… Which is really making me wish this site allowed different fonts, it would make telling them apart that much easier. So instead, check in the chapter title for whose point of view the particular chapter is in. Chapters will still only be around 2000 words, maybe a little more or less (this one got away from me O_o), but I think that's fine, right?**

**IF YOU ARE JUST NOW READING THIS STORY OR WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON PROGRESS go read my profile. The full status of this story is there, along with the status of my other stories, what stories I'm working on according to my new posting schedule, and what my life is like at the last moment I posted anything so you can try and see how long till the next update.**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter One: Muyo**

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

My entire body was charged with energy as I sat patiently at the base of a tree, dressed in rough clothes all made from lamb's wool. I felt it coming, like always.

Slowly the sun set, the bloody glow fading. Without it to cancel out her affects, the Mother Moon stood out proudly in the dark sky, ripe and full.

It hurt. It always hurt. The pain was strongest at the polished piece of obsidian set into my forehead and spread to the back of my skull. It followed the veins of my blood to the rest of my body in pulsing waves. I never questioned it. It was probably because of my impurity that it hurt so much, the human blood in me rejecting that of the Moon Child's. I couldn't exactly ask my family about it, or another Moon Child for that manner. So I just gritted my teeth and bore it, every full moon.

My skin crawled. Every sound seemed ten times as loud. My vision swam as my legs refused to hold my weight anymore, my body crashing to the ground. I wasn't even able to catch myself with my hands. I wanted to rip, scratch, and somehow end this nightmare as my mind temporarily lost its hold on sanity. Smells flooded my nose, sending my brain into overdrive trying to categorize them all. Muscles spasms wrecked me, made me twitch uncontrollably as my bones ached.

What felt like a life time later, though it was only a few minutes, the shift finally ended. Standing, now on four legs instead of two, I shook out my fur. The black strands along my back, down some of my tail, and over my head shimmered with dark blue highlights, even as the white and gray of my legs, belly, the rest of my tail, and my muzzle shone silver in the Moon's glow. This was what it meant to be a Moon Child.

Or half of one, as the case was.

I padded along the park that was the only forest I had been able to find. The sprawling city that was basically all of Japan had made it tricky to find somewhere safe to take on this shape as I must during the full moon's cycle. Normally, I was safe on the family's estates in time for this, but tonight my elder brother had made a request I couldn't deny.

Howls echoed through the still air, and I paused, taking in the scent. Several packs had conjugated in this city tonight. Not surprising, with tonight being a lunar eclipse, a special event for those of the Moon's blood. The songs were that of different packs greeting each other. Tonight, courtships between packs would be observed to make sure they were solid, betas would vie for dominance with their alphas, and most importantly, the head alpha of this particular pack could be challenged. To my knowledge, this was the middle of the Western Pack's territory, and it had been ruled by the same family for generations. The current head alpha was young, but strong and supposedly a bit of a genius. I wouldn't be complaining if I was part of this pack, but the piece of obsidian in my forehead instead of a sapphire said quite plainly that I wasn't so my opinion hardly mattered.

My attention was dragged towards one particular set of songs, one that was painfully bawdy and inappropriate. Normally, I would be sympathetic for the pack. The head alpha was going to rip into them, guaranteed. This was an event that allowed pups to attend, specifically the younger brother of the current head alpha. He would not appreciate it. However, I recognized the hoarse timber of the lead singer as that of Tsume, and all sympathy vanished. That idiot had stalked me this entire visit, and if I hadn't needed to know the pack met in this city during the lunar eclipse, I would have ripped his throat out myself.

Stopping for a moment, I took a drink from a nearby fountain, listening to different songs.

_We should sing too._

_Hush, _I scolded the voice of my inner wolf, something I frequently denied having to my family.

_They should know we are here._

_I said hush. We don't want them to know we're here, we want to eavesdrop, remember?_

_This isn't right, Muyo! You know it isn't! We are all children of the Moon—_

_And I'm also a child of Saya, so _shut up_ and let me do as Onii-sama asked!_

That thankfully shut it up. Mentioning of my elder brother usually did.

Trotting alongside a path rather than on it in case of humans taking a walk, I paused again only when I heard a sound much closer than the songs. It was a whine, an inarticulate cry for help, and it was definitely coming from a pup. Sighing, I knew better than to ignore it, which would be as good as being cruel to the poor thing in the eyes of its family and the last thing I needed was a blood grudge. Changing my direction, I worked through a good many gardens and trees till I finally found it.

Not necessarily scrawny, _he_ was definitely a pup that was starting to grow, meaning he was gangly. The fact his black fur was long and shaggy did nothing to help. Plaintive, dark blue-grey eyes looked around pathetically before he whined again. Rolling my eyes and snorting, I gave a soft, commanding bark deep in my throat as I approached. He looked up, eyes shining and tail wagging.

"_Are you trying to look like a lost puppy dog?" _I teased, using the lupine language as he squirmed eagerly before me. Sure enough, a sapphire was set in his forehead. He was part of the Western Pack, then. Swooping down, I picked him up by the scruff of his neck. Normally used for carrying smaller (i.e. younger) pups, it was meant as a form of chastisement for one his age. I was just lucky he wasn't adolescent-sized yet, so I was able to carry him. My wolf form wasn't that big, after all.

"_That's not very nice…" _he accused, tail tugged between his legs as he squirmed to try and get free. I held him for a while longer, ignoring his yips of discontent and whines to be let down before I finally set him down to trot alongside me.

I snorted as I sniffed out the trail to the pack gathering that I wasn't planning on attending but was going to anyway now. _"If a human had found you instead of one of us, you would have gone home a pet," _I reminded him, _"You surely know how to sniff out your own trail, don't you?"_

"_I'm just now learning how to track…" _he muttered, obviously ashamed. I had little sympathy. If he hadn't been so quick to panic, his inner wolf would have guided him in how to find his way back. Mine had been training me by the time I was his age, since I only really had instinct to go on. However, I could tell that same little voice was telling him the exact same thing I was thinking, so I gave him a playful nudge. He licked my muzzle in apology and our silence became amiable instead of judging.

I felt my tail tuck down as we walked through a heavily forested area and into a large clearing. This was very clearly pack territory, and I was definitely an intruder.

_Still think we shouldn't have sung?_

_Shut up._

The pup beside me didn't notice any difference in my demeanor. His tail wagged as he darted ahead, though I noticed he waited for me and wouldn't go further without. Since I found him, I was in charge of him until I found his parents.

_Joy._

_I like pups._

_I know you like pups, and I know what you are hinting at. Now would you shut up already?_

_No. It's my job to remind you of what you actually want, remember?_

I inwardly growled at my inner wolf. Damn it for being right.

The pup seemed to notice I was distracted, since he quit frolicking around in front of me. When I looked down at him out of the corner of my eye, he smiled in the lupine way, tail wagging. _"You're like Ani-ue,_" he said matter-of-fact, like it was easy to tell. If I had eyebrows in this shape, I would have raised them at the term for his older brother. I could only dream of calling mine that. Hell would freeze over first.

Speaking of Hell, it seemed my night was going there. I whined myself as a dark gray male with a lighter gray belly approached us at a trot, tail raised like a banner behind him. By scent and attitude alone, I knew it was Tsume. Following him were his two tag-a-longs who I assumed were part of his pack, both male, one ginger with a streak of lighter fur running down his forehead and the other mahogany with a lighter brown belly thanks to white fur mixing with the rest of his coat. All three had sapphires set in their foreheads, of course. I was never as aware of that stupid obsidian as I was now.

The pup heard my whine and looked at the approaching males. Before I could say anything to him, he scuttled under my feet like I was his mother. I looked down at him, baffled. _"And what do you think you're doing?" _I demanded, shocked at his behavior.

"_Tsume is bad… _Bad, _bad…" _he whimpered, cowering as the males got closer. _"Ani-ue is always complaining about them causing trouble, and getting away with it because they are so big…"_

_Pup has a point there._

Both my inner wolf and the pup were right. Tsume and the two behind him were large by wolf standards. And me? I was… well, I was walking the line between the small side of normal and petite. This was going to be ugly, especially if I had to worry about a pup under my feet or around me.

An idea occurred to me. Nudging him with my nose, I managed to scoot him out from underneath me. _"Go find your older brother," _I ordered him firmly, broking no arguments. I nipped him as soon as he tried to give me one. With a yip, more out of surprise then pain, he was off at a full out run. Relieved of both a hazard and a distraction all at once, I instinctively sunk into a crouch, fur bristling and fangs bared as the trio finally came to a halt, Tsume in the middle and in front of the others.

"_Muyo-chan!" _he greeted me casually, ignoring both my growl at the cutesy honorific on my name and the stance I was in. _"I wasn't expecting to see you here. If I had known, you could have come with me and my friends," _he stated cockily, reaching to lick my cheek.

I snarled and snapped at his ear, almost managing to sink my fangs into it before he jerked out of the way.

_Damn it, so close but no cigarettes, _I mentally grumbled as Tsume backed away with a snarl of his own, both of his apparently mute cohorts coming to attention and snarling at me as well. I just bared my fangs again, ears flat against my skull in warning.

_Muyo…. Muyo, this is _not good! _Why did you send the pup away? Others would have jumped in to save a pup from these thugs!_

_Because a) he's a pup, damn it, I am not getting him involved in this, and b) his precious "Ani-ue" owes me big for bringing him back, he will probably come with his back to help._

_Probably? Please, for the love of Mother Moon, tell me you did not just say _probably! _I don't want us to die!_

Why did I get an inner wolf that panics easily? Right, because I jump into situations like this. Three really big, male wolves against little old me... Great... I've faced worst odds.

…I just can't remember them right now...

"_So the _loner bitch_ wants to play rough?" _Tsume asked mockingly with a growl, though it wasn't really a question. His buddies had me blocked in, if I tried to run off in either direction except at Tsume or away from him (not an option, not _ever_) they would be on me like white on rice. I stood my ground, waiting.

True to what I guessed him for, Tsume lurched forward, ready to take a piece out of me. I braced myself…

…but thankfully needn't have bothered. A silent streak of brown collided with Tsume in mid-air, throwing the gray wolf to the side. Not paying attention to that, my head swiveled as both the ginger and mahogany wolves darted forward to double-team my savior.

_Oh, no, not with me around_, I warned mentally and growled physically as I darted forward. My fangs sunk into the ears of the ginger wolf, the one that had been closest to me, and with a yelp he jerked away, tearing his own ear to shreds in the process. Whining pitiful, he backed away from me. Growls rumbled from deep in my chest, making my entire body tremble. I couldn't see the mahogany one, but when I saw both Tsume and the now one-eared wolf high-tailing it away from the clearing among jeers and snapping jaws, I finally was able to relax some.

Turning my head as I registered something behind me, I discovered what my brown streak-savior was. Another wolf, another male. And oh my…

_Mother Moon… What did his mama feed him? HE'S HUGE!_

_Thank you for stating the obvious._

The chocolate brown male easily towered over me, his sapphire blue eyes matching the stone in his head perfectly as they stared down at my coldly. My fur immediately flattened, my ears went back, and my tail went between my legs. _Oh boy… Why does it look like he's about to punish me like I still had my milk teeth and had done something stupid…? _That punishment was usually being tumbled head over tail. Humiliating, and it left bruises.

"_Onee-sama!"_

The delighted bark of the black pup pulled me from my fear as I was pounced from behind, the small bundle of warmth playfully grabbing my ear and pulling before letting go to slid down in front of me, a wiggling mess of excited. My brain, however, was caught on what he called me. _Big sister_? In what world?

"_Mokuba._"

The deep timber of the voice of the chocolate wolf was icy cold, but that wasn't what made a shudder run through my entire body.

_Oh yeesssss…_

_No, down girl, no jumping the bones of the scary alpha, _I scolded the inner wolf. I wasn't going to argue that the completely dominant and controlled voice didn't attract me, but I wasn't going to make an idiot out of myself either.

Thankfully, neither male noticed my mental jabbering. The black pup calmed considerably, looking up at the older male adoringly. _"Ani-ue, this is Onee-sama, the one who found me when I got separated!" _he informed his older brother, eyes wide and bright.

"_I realize that, Mokuba. Go find Suzuki,"_ the elder brother ordered, obviously used to being obeyed. Sure enough, the pup paused long enough to lick my muzzle and for me to return his affection before he scurried off. I saw him greet an older female, and guessed that to be his nurse or something like it.

Around me, I heard mutterings as conversations picked up again. My ears pricked forward as other packs were mentioned along with the names I was looking for. One of them referred to the male that saved me from being tromped on as the head alpha, Seto Kaiba. _Fabulous, _I thought sarcastically, though I kept my mind focused. As I was making mental notes, I watched Kaiba, still somewhat tense. I wasn't sure how well this was going to end.

"_Mokuba is no longer your concern," _he finally informed me before turning his back to me in an obvious snub.

Astounded at his arrogance, I froze for a long moment. Finally, I snorted derisively at him and turned to leave myself.

Next thing I knew, I was pinned by Moon-only-knows-how-many pounds of icily enraged male wolf. _"Back off," _I snapped at him, both verbally and physically, holding in the yelp when he nipped me warningly in return. _"You are not my alpha." _When he growled at me, I jerked my head, making my obsidian piece catch the Moon's light.

He froze above me. _"Loner." _It was a statement, not a question. When I didn't say anything, he slowly backed off and away.

I stood and shook, knocking off the dirt that had been on my fur. _"I didn't mean to intrude on your gathering, I was just in the park because it was closest and safest," _I informed him calmly, though inside I was shaking.

_Get away, Muyo, get away before you roll over and beg him to take—_

_Don't finish that, for the love of the Moon, _don't! _I'm hanging on by a thread, I know, okay?_

He nodded, accepting my reasoning for being in a place I didn't belong. With a nod of my own, I backed up two steps, a sign of respect, before I turned and took off for the woods.

I had to be back to my brother's side by the next night. I had the information he wanted.

**Okay, I didn't get as far this time as I did the last one, but I was already almost at 3,000 words and actually I would rather do a chapter in Yami's POV next anyway where the big plan is revealed. No complaining, y'all, this means more story. YAY MORE STORY!**

**Okay, long ass note, so bear with me.**

**Wolf's Moon**** is going to cover the events through the eyes of Muyo, Kaiba, Atem (a.k.a. Yami Yugi), Yugi, Ryou, Bakura (his yami in the canon), Serenity Wheeler, and Duke Devlin. I'm using a bit of a mix of English and Japanese names, applying English names where they would fit concerning our different locations while giving Japanese names and honorifics according to location as well. Currently, those are translated as:**

**Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City (I know, canon says it's most likely a Tokyo suburb, but I needed it more south!)**

**-chan—cutesy name for children and adolescent girls**

**Onee-sama—big sister**

**Onii-sama—big brother**

**Ani-ue—also big brother, slightly less formal and more endeared than onii-sama**

**Now, understand my knowledge of Japanese is limited to manga and wiki, so I'm guessing about the levels of respect here. Ani-ue just seems like more affectionate than onii-sama to me, probably because I've seen onii-sama attached on to names like a title and I've only seen ani-ue by itself like a nickname. Reasoning behind Mokuba calling Kaiba "Ani-ue"? He calls him "big brother" almost all the time in the English anime. *shrugs***

**Hunter's Moon ****is going to be a companion to this story written after I finish this one. It will follow our remaining main cast, Malik, Marik (his yami), Tea, Tristan, Jou, Mai, and the final couple which I won't reveal until the actual story itself (you will be surprised, trust me) during the EXACT SAME TIME as ****Wolf's Moon****. This means they will share some plot elements, but in the end the characters make things entirely different.**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Muyo)  
**_

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto  
**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	2. Chapter 2: Atem

**Original AN: **I'm baaAAaack! And I realized I forgot my disclaimer… (sweat drop) Oh well. It's in this chapter.

And to my two reviewers (bursts into tears over the fact she got only two reviews), thank you so much! You made me remember why I love to write. (I have had zero good press with other readers lately). To answer your question, I am writing my chapters on a friend's computer right now, and she doesn't like the whole gay thing. So I could either pair them off with other people (which I didn't want to do) or turn the hikaris into girls (which I am a fan of anyway). So yeah… Hope that answers your question!

_**Blah blah blah about pairings**_

**New AN: Weelll, we're just moving right along!**

…

**I feel like I'm channeling Urahara right now. I really need to lay off the **_**Bleach **_**episodes… Anywho, to correct the old note, I am changing the hikari back into boys. I'm no longer controlled by the person who owns the computer, since…you know…I own it.**

**IF YOU ARE JUST NOW READING THIS STORY OR WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON PROGRESS go read my profile. The full status of this story is there, along with the status of my other stories, what stories I'm working on according to my new posting schedule, and what my life is like at the last moment I posted anything so you can try and see how long till the next update. Also, GO REREAD CHAPTER ONE, THIS SUCKER'S BEING REWRITTEN!**

**Disclaimer: Consider this the official one, it counts for all chapters of Wolf's Moon. I own NOTHING except for the concept and Muyo. I don't get anything out of this except for satisfaction. No money, no gifts, no nada. Nothing of monetary value. Yeah, not mine. Never going to be mine. BACK OFF!  
**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Two: Atem**

_**Kyoto, Japan (Honshū)**_

I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting a headache, as I took a moment to myself in the main office of my family's European style mansion. Normally, this place was where I conducted business. Hunters would come to me, both for assignments and to let me know when they returned from one, reports usually in hand for the latter, informants would bring me their reports, the trainers would bring me reports about the next generation of Hunters, and I would review it all before sending it along to the next proper channel.

Right now, it was also away from the annoying posturing going on downstairs in the ballroom. The best Hunters, those with the sharpest skills, purest blood from the Huntress herself, or both were gathered tonight for the next plan. On my desk was the list of both every one of those blasted Packs and the name of the head alpha or at least their beta for each of them. I had carefully chosen Hunters based on records of each wolf, made plans for successes and failures.

Now I just had to go tell all them that.

I was twenty-three years old. I felt like I was sixty, at least. I had been the leader of my people formally since I was eighteen, but I have been informally been running it since I seized control from the interim leader at age fourteen. The pressure was almost impossible to escape, but I still had to find moments like this just to breathe and remember who I was, not as a Hunter but as a man.

Sighing as I straightened up from where I was leaning on my desk, I glared at the crimson tie staring accusingly at me from where it was draped over the expensive leather armchair. Technically, this event was semi-formal. I think my black suit and charcoal gray shirt, admittedly with the top few buttons undone, counted as semiformal, so my assistant who laid out that tie could kiss my ass. Letting out a "humph" at the thought, I finally opened the door to the dark hallway.

My office wasn't that far from the ballroom. Down a hall, make a left at the t-branch, double doors at the end and there, I was at the balcony overlooking the grand room, stairs on either side of me leading down to the masses of Hunters in their finest formal wear. Approaching the rail, I ignored the fact that most talking paused as my presence grabbed their attention

I caught sight the infamous blonde bombshell, Mai Valentine, out of the corner of my eye with ease; she was dressed in eye-smarting purple, after all. Her date, Marik Bahur judging from the dark skin and platinum blonde hair, didn't seem to mind, at least. Then again, I sometimes wondered about him… Other faces stood out to me, but it was another who entered the ballroom just then that became my focus.

A slim girl in her late teens, maybe her early twenties at a glance, her skin was white like fine china, making the soft embarrassed flush of her cheeks and the rose pink of her lips that much more noticeable. Her dark blue eyes, set in such a delicate face and made up to make the most of their shape and color, were downcast, refusing to meet any gazes as she gently closed the door behind her, her hands covered by white elbow length gloves. Rather than her usual rough clothes, she was dressed in an elegant blue and white ball gown I couldn't help but approve of, even though it showed off exactly how tiny yet curvy she was. Inky black hair, similar to my own only with blue highlights instead of crimson, was up in a style that disguised the fact it normally reached the middle of her back, though that style did nothing to hide the fact that the very front of her hair, bangs and forelocks that skimmed her jawline, was silvery white to my own blonde.

I guess the duality hair thing ran in families.

My younger sister took her place at the back of the room. Viewed as a half-breed by most if not all of the rest of the Hunters, she would be given verbal if not physical abuse if she tried to push her way forward in this crowd. Under normal circumstances, I tolerated this behavior, barely. I couldn't exactly afford a rebellion on the behalf of my illegitimate half-sibling. Tonight, though… Tonight I couldn't grit my teeth and bear through it, not after reading her report and Huntress knows she leaves out the worse details as it is yet still what was in there…

Shoving aside my anger before it showed on my face, I raised my hand, calling for silence even though I already almost had it. I left it up and raised the other, gesturing towards Muyo to come up the stairs. No one else guessed to be the one I called for. Hesitating a moment, she made her way, sticking close to the wall rather than going the faster way of cutting through the crowd, to one of the staircases. She had to lift her skirt to climb up, revealing delicate silver shoes that matched the fragility of her emotional state under all her masks and acts. Poor little wolf… Never sure if she was in trouble with me or not because so many of the others were so hot and cold towards her…

I lowered my hands and turned to face her as she curtsied before me, one hand resting casually still on the rail. "You're trembling, Muyo," I said softly in way of a greeting.

She said nothing, her eyes downcast still. Sighing and knowing I wouldn't get a response in public, I ordered instead, "Stand beside me tonight. You have earned it."

"Yes, Onii-sama," she intoned, but I saw the glimmer of a proud smile appear on her lips.

_Thank you, Huntress. I did something right by her for a change._

Facing the masses and ignoring some of the incredulous looks I was getting for my actions (Thank Saya herself they didn't hear our exchange), I heard Muyo move so she was to my right and slightly behind me. I only wish I could give her the right to stand there always, as it should be by my reckoning though not by others.

Grabbing my wondering thoughts, I lifted my chin as I leaned on the rail again. My voice raised itself to be heard throughout the large room. "Brothers and sisters," I greeted calmly, my low voice rich in tone and polite in cadence, "Descendents of the Huntress Saya. Welcome. You have been gathered here tonight because you are the ones on whom I can count on the most." _White lying never exactly hurt anyone. _"Many of you have scars to prove how you have fought in our never-ending struggle with the beasts which are bound to the moon."

I internally winced as I heard Muyo suck in a sharp breath behind me. The crowd below was stirring, obviously pleased with my words and assured that I was not going soft because of the girl beside me.

"Yesterday, the different packs gathered as is their way, to fight for leadership like the base creatures they are," I continued though I wanted to assure Muyo that I didn't think any of this applied to her, "One of our own walked among them, one of our own found the last piece to my plan. She stands beside me tonight, honored for her bravery and her strength."

More murmurs. Some obviously thought it was easy for Muyo to sneak into a pack's territory. The wiser ones, though…They knew. A loner like Muyo could be killed in cold blood for daring to enter their lands, especially on the nights of the lunar eclipse. Bravery had no better face then hers.

"Tonight, I send out eight of our ranks and join them in the greatest and most dangerous mission yet," I informed them, "Those I have chosen are those who have shown the greatest skill in their training, who have the greatest drives, and yet the wolves do not know their faces." As the murmurings grew louder in alarm, I had to raise my voice's pitch to continue. "This is vital for our plan to succeed. These beasts must have another weakness, one we do not know of. We must find it. We must end this conflict."

There. That would make them shut up and think for a change. I let them stew before I finally said, "Those who were chosen know who you are. As soon as you may, discreetly leave this party to talk to me and then return before you are noticed."

Letting out a breath as polite clapping broke out, I turned and walked towards the doors. However, I paused at Muyo's curtsied form. "Come with me now," I ordered softly, "You and your partner will be first. She is already waiting for us I'm sure."

"Yes, Onii-sama," she whispered back. I offered her my arm, as was proper, and only with great hesitance did she take it. Patting her hand reassuringly, I felt her relax just a little and breathed easier myself.

Sure enough, my office door was cracked open, a sign someone had entered. I pushed it open all the way and stepped back to let Muyo pass through. She smiled at me in gratitude, and I internally winced at the hero worship I saw there. I had to treat her like dirt most of the time, and she still loved me unconditionally. My poor little sister…

Once she was inside, I closed the door, knowing that she would wait for orders before sitting down anywhere. "A well trained mutt," was the comment from a Hunter once… He had limped around with a broken leg for a while after he said it.

I turned around to face the two people who hadn't been able to attend the party but were still a part of this mission. Dr. Arthur Hopkins was our medical expert when it came to the wolves' physiology. He was also Muyo's personal doctor, and therefore a good friend. It was his granddaughter I could do without. Rebecca Hopkins was a certified genius who had flown through the courses all Hunters took as well as normal classes. Unfortunately, she had been left in the care of cynical old Hunters too long. It would take time under her grandfather to soften her towards Muyo, which made me reluctant to use her. However, she was all I had available.

"Hopkins-sensei, it is a pleasure as always," I greeted with a nod of my head as I placed my hands on a nearby chair, giving Muyo a silent look. She recognized it and, with a slight nod, took the seat so she was directly in front of me. Every image the proper lady, I knew it to be an act and so did anyone who ever saw Muyo outside of these gatherings. Focusing my mind, I addressed the doctor again, "You have read my proposal?"

"Yes, I have, Yukimura-dono," he acknowledged from his seat. An older gentleman originally from England, he tended to dress like one still in a cream suit, white shirt, and red bow tie.

His granddaughter beside him was in a simple red party dress, obviously a statement that despite her age she wanted to be among the other Hunters. Blonde pigtails may have made her look childish, but I knew that mind of hers was sharp. Her fingers were tapping impatiently on the armrest, making my eyebrows furrow in warning. Her grandfather rested his hand on hers to make her stop. "Yes, I understand," he repeated himself with a sigh, "I don't necessarily like it, but then, it is perhaps the safest first mission I have ever heard of. Befriending the wolves, not killing them, may be more difficult in a way, but at the same time it won't leave Rebecca in physical danger. I cannot turn it down."

"But do I have to go with the mutt?" the little runt whined suddenly. Dr. Hopkins looked at her in alarm before meeting my stony eyes. I heard a low rumble coming from in front of me and I had to reach forward and squeeze Muyo's shoulders. Muyo was often reminding others she was half-Hunter too, and unless the Hunter outranked her, grew outraged when they called her derogatory names. In the ballroom downstairs, that meant she had to hold her tongue and act meek, but none of that applied to Rebecca in this office at this moment.

"Calm, koinu-chan," I murmured to her, feeling her relax at the childhood title. I was right there with her, of course. My anger was holding on my thread. I was too tired for this…

Unfortunately, Rebecca overheard or read my lips, since she yelped, "Little puppy? Yukimura-dono—"

"That is enough, Hopkins-san," I interrupted, my tone harsh with my repressed anger. "I shall remind you that Muyo is not only an accomplished Hunter, but my half-sister. You were out of line to insult her as you did."

The little girl blinked, mouth wide, and then looked to her grandfather for obvious confirmation. Apparently she wasn't aware of that fact, she had only heard of the "pet wolf I kept" according to the rumor mills. Thank Saya the Yukimura name offered Muyo a little protection from comments like that in my presence and around those loyal to me. The blonde head bowed in obvious embarrassment and I heard a murmured apology to Muyo.

"Now, Hopkins-san," I continued, much more calm now that the girl had been put into her place. "You are to go with Muyo on this next mission as an aid. As your grandfather just stated, you are to make friends with a wolf pup who will attend the same school you are. Muyo will be informing you of the other parts of your cover story later. She is the senior Hunter on this mission. Her word is final. You are going because this is a good first mission for you and I would like to see what you are capable of in these fields." I saw the blonde head nod, her eyes still downcast in her embarrassment. I knew that wouldn't last long, and most likely it was currently an act to pacify me. "Thank you. That will be all. Muyo will have more information for you in the morning."

Both the old man and the little girl bowed to me before leaving. Only when I heard the door click shut did I sit down in my chair with a sigh, slumping back with a groan and both my eyes closed.

"Onii-sama, please tell me you are going to cut back on the workload while you are gone," Muyo asked softly, reaching over to rest her hands on my arm closest to her. I looked at her with one eye, seeing the worry written all over her face.

And damn it all if she wasn't making puppy eyes at me.

"Yes, I'll be delegating most of my responsibilities here," I finally grumbled closing my eye again to try and relax. "I can't exactly have our paper work floating around in my apartment if I invite this Muto kid over… How is it that he's ruling a pack at seventeen?"

"His family has been the head-alpha for generations," she answered with a shrug, looking down at the palm of my hands as she traced the lines of my palm. My lifeline, a fairly short one according to a fortune teller I met once, was the center of her attention. "The Eastern Pack is made up of pacifist mostly anyway…"

Sighing, I nodded and pulled my hand away. "You should get some rest," I admonished gently, "You have a lot of work to do."

"So do you, Onii-sama," she reminded me.

Reaching over, I pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, koinu-chan," I murmured. I saw her smile before she left.

**Original Closer: **How was that, everyone? Okay, bad, good? I want to know! Please R&R! I'll get out the next chapter as soon as I can, promise.

**New Closer: DAMN ATEM AND MUYO! I'm beginning to wonder if this will be a theme for the rest of the story… 2700 WORDS! I wanted 2000, maybe 2500… Yeesh… **

**See the last chapter for the long-ass note about this story and its companion, as well as my explanation on names. Translations:**

**Honshū—The largest and central island of Japan**

**-sensei—a title applied to those in of higher authority and/or expertise, such as teachers, doctors, etc…**

**-san—honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…**

**-dono—another honorific, generally viewed as archaic, means "my lord"**

**koinu-chan—little puppy**

**Onii-sama—big brother**

**Atem doesn't add as suffix to Muyo's name because that's typically how older siblings address younger ones.**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto**

**Muyo's dress link: http: / / i287. photobucket. com/ albums/ ll152/ EvaEmaria/ MuyosGown. jpg  
**

**Remove the spaces after the / and the periods.  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Bakura

**Original AN: **Wahahahahahaha! (stops evil laughing) Ello duckies. I'm here again, so all is well!

Ithil (my yami): Says who?

Says me! Hush! Here is the list of the places we have been so far:

**Sapphire Pack: Domino City, Japan**

Anywho, here is the third chapter of Wolf's Moon. But instead of following Muyo, we'll be with Yami and his first meeting with Yugi. On to Paris!

**New AN: Okay, why the HELL is it taking twice as long for my plot to play out? Gah, so frustrating… Sorry to old readers. If it makes you feel better, you do get new plot funsies even though the stuff you already know about has no longer happened yet in this chapter. On that note, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE read the ending note right after the first paragraph in all bold. For any people cranky about staying true to canon, that note is for you.**

**Oh, and check this out: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**Spaces need deleted after every / and period.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Three: Bakura**

_**Kyoto, Japan (Honshū)**_

Growling to myself, I reached up and ripped the black tie holding my hair at the base of my neck out. I hated these damn gatherings. If I knew killing wolves meant that I would have to rub elbows with highborn idiots, I would have sucked at it a little more…

Or not… I smirked as I walked down the halls. It did my ego good to see the looks of both awe and horror in the faces of those who saw me. Thankfully, I always left early, it was expected. No one would make a mental note of it, so I could go get my orders from Atem.

As far as not being recognizable, under normal circumstances that was the fucking opposite of what I was. Wolves knew of me all over the place, had for years now. I had more blood on my hands then ten normal Hunters combined. It was the last hunt that changed all that…

_Loading the small crossbow with a silver-laced arrow, I cursed at the awkwardness of doing it on the run. Bullets were easier, but I ran out of those a while ago._

_Trust my damn luck to run into a fucking pack instead of a couple of loners._

_Shooting the bolt over my shoulder, I heard a whine but I heard a fucking shitload of snarls too. Looking at my surroundings, I saw I was almost to the Dublin Hunters' lodge. Fifteen wolves would be easy for the twenty-something Hunters staying the lodge at any given moment._

_I felt weight before anything else. It felt like body flew…until I hit the cobblestones, anyway. Then came the piercing pain in my shoulder. I may or may not have yelled, my memories are still fuzzy. I heard gunfire, for sure, before my world blackened._

Wolf venom, secreted by the furry bastards when they were chasing prey to paralyze the animal though I've been told by our own resident lupine it has other uses too, did not mix with Hunter blood well. I had been told by our doctors that if I had been more than half-Hunter, I would have been dead. As it was, my body went into intense shock. I was in a coma for three weeks, in recovery for two months…and woke up a damn albino.

Okay, sort of. I certainly didn't have black hair anymore, anyway. Everything else stayed the same for the most part. Some of the wolf's healing powers transferred, healing old wounds so I wasn't nearly as scarred like I had been though I still had a handful under my shirt, but my skin was still dark from my Egyptian mother, my eyes black like hers too. It was my damn hair that changed to fucking white. Even my old partners and teachers didn't recognize me worth a shit when they saw me after recovery.

Bastards laughed too. I wanted to kick their asses, but I had sworn not to beat the shit out of Hunters anymore.

Anyway, I hadn't been hunting since, so the wolves weren't aware that I had survived, and I sure as hell didn't look like I did. Muyo claimed even my damn scent changed, wrinkling her nose as she said it. Wolves saw with their noses and all that, so she was obviously not happy with the change either.

Atem obviously thought I needed to get back out there now that the doctors had given the all clear...

_Never mind how much our damn shoulder hurts…_

_Go to hell._

Another damn unpleasant quirk of that damn venom: what the lore labeled an inner wolf had developed in my unconscious, and the fucking voice was getting stronger all the time. Not even Yukimura Muyo had one, yet here I am stuck with—

_You know, she only _claims _not to have one. Good reasoning too, since she's already treated like she's got the plague. If any Hunter thought she had some sort of inner voice dedicated to the Moon Children, she'd be in deep shit._

_Yeah, like I'm not? I'm always getting funny looks, _I snapped back at it mentally as I made my way up the stairs. I should have learned by now, answering the damn thing encouraged it, I fucking swear to Saya if I only I could crawl into my own unconscious with a loaded gun…

_Yeah, but I've never told you not to kill, have I? _it countered, ignoring my annoyed thoughts, _I take what you want, what you really want, and remind you. That's it. Okay, so I use proper terminology instead of Hunter's slang. A little education won't hurt you._

Snorting as I stood outside Atem's office, I took off my rather shabby white jacket while I stood there, knocking as I rolled up the sleeves of my one and only dress shirt, navy blue that had faded to a much softer tone then I was necessarily comfortable with, untucking it from my white slacks at the same time.

I got a kick out of dressing in white now, what can I say?

Atem opened the door, looking like Hell. He usually did. I hope he got some ass and chilled during this mission some, the poor guy needed it. "Alright, whatcha got?" I asked casually. He quirked a brow at me, probably because of my sucky Japanese, and turned to go back into the office. I followed, throwing my jacket on a nearby chair in the process.

"We're sending you to London," he informed me dryly, in English for my benefit, reaching for the information I would need. A thumb drive, it was meant for me to read on that piece of shit laptop I hated using, preferably when no one could read over my shoulder.

However, that wasn't what made me shudder. I did _not _have good memories of England. I also knew its streets like I knew my dick, so I couldn't exactly complain about his reasoning either.

Atem looked at least a little sympathetic, his crimson eyes watching me carefully as I leaned against the wall. Damn, I wish I had a cig… "Alright, England… Which particular pack?" I asked, forcing my tone to stay cool.

_Careful, Bakura. He's exhausted…_

_Atem isn't on his death bed, shut up._

"Northern," Atem answered, taking a seat. I mentally gloated for a while, proud of outlasting him, but then saw his expression under those bangs of his I fucking swear he had to bleach to make them that blonde when the rest of his hair was black that shone red in the light. _Damn, that voice was right…_

"Atem, you look like shit," I bluntly told him, "When was the last time you slept for more than five hours at a time?"

He let out his current breath in a frustrated sigh, leaning his head back. "A while…" he admitted reluctantly, "I'll catch up while I'm in Boston…"

"You're going after the Eastern Pack? Fuck, easy job," I tried to assure him without being too buddy-buddy with him, "Bunch of pansy asses, the lot of 'em."

At least I made him chuckle. I added my own as I left the room, closing the door behind me.

Normally, I preferred to stay in hotels where ever my feet (and assignments) took me. But with recovery and all that, I had been given a room here in the mansion, and all my shit was there for the moment. Thankfully it was away from where the last two members of the family both slept, so the servants left me the Hell alone too.

An hour later, I had almost everything packed and a one-way ticket to London, along with a decent hotel room, booked and waiting for me. The information on the drive had already been skimmed, but I'd need to read it more thoroughly later. A knock at my open door was what made me look up from packing the last of my hunting gear in its case.

Yukimura Muyo was lovely, lupine blood or not. She had been up on a pedestal for most of the night, but now she was in a pair of pajama pants and an oversized sweater that hid her curves, all black dyed wool of some sort. Apparently, if she tried to shift into her wolf form wearing anything but the first shearing from lambs, she was going to phase back as one naked human. I wouldn't mind the sight, but others, including her, would be a bit annoyed.

"You leaving tonight?" she asked quietly, leaning her head on the door jam.

"Yeah… Been here longer than I wanted to be anyway," I told her gruffly. Something about her, fire and ice mixed in one very confusing little package, always made me wary, like I needed to keep my distance or she would have me completely wrapped around her finger like Atem.

She nodded, quiet. I was used to her weird way of speaking. Sometimes it took her a while to respond, or there would be breaks in her thoughts.

_Kinda like us?_

Damn it, it had a point again.

"Ryo Bakura, age nineteen," she finally said, making my attention snap back to her. "Son of the current head-alpha, currently attending the Royal College of Art in Ceramics & Glass, so I would suggest taking your camera gear and signing up for a few photography classes while you're there. There was a death in the family recently, details not really known, but it was bad enough that the head-alpha was given a pass this cycle. Obviously, the pack felt like taking the spot now would be like cheating."

"Point?" I finally grumbled, deciding to keep this exchange short.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped back, but her heart wasn't in it. "I know you, Bakura-kun, and I know you don't care if your partners are male or female… Just remember something, alright? Ryo isn't going to be some little puppy you can take into your arms and shelter from the world, no matter how much you may want to…"

I snorted. The entire Hunter clan knew I swung both ways. It was the last part, _her _warning _me_ not to get my feelings involved, that was laughable. "Sure you're one to talk?" I asked, my own eyes narrowing at her. "I know what your orders are too. This little adventure will cost you more than a little heartbreak if you have to go through with them."

Her mouth pressed itself into a thin line. "I will follow Onii-sama's will," she told me, that familiar steely glint entering those oh-so-blue eyes, "Even… Even when that will changes. Remember that part too, Bakura-kun." She turned and walked away, closing the door behind her.

I didn't bother closing it again. Taking at least some of her advice, I packed my camera gear like she suggested. Being a photographer was a good way to explain my wondering lifestyle to humans who got in the way, only reason I had the damn thing. Humans…

…_like your old partners? How many now? The one woman in Cairo who was heartbroken from the death of her brother when she was young…The boy whose father was an asshole…Another boy, this one so confused about his sexuality that he didn't know what he was getting into, as long as he was loved… Gotta admit, Bakura, she had a reason for talking to you. You seem to collect broken people and try to heal them, because fuck knows you are just as screwed up but can't ever heal. Hell, that's why you won't touch her with a ten-foot pole; she'd try and heal you even though she's in pieces herself._

_Shut up… Muyo… Muyo isn't broken. She's too damn strong, that's why…_

_She's both, but she's broken in a way… Just not in a way you can help heal because when it comes down to it your other half is human and hers is Moon Child. We can't share that with her, even with the venom making the difference a little less._

_Shut up._

_She's trying to protect you from yourself—_

"I SAID SHUT UP!" I snarled out loud this time. My hand reached out and grabbed a lamp. Gripping it by the neck, I threw it as hard as I could. It hit the nearest wall with a crash.

The green ceramic shattered, falling to the ground and staring at me accusingly.

I sank down, barely managing to sit on the bed rather than the luggage or slipping to the floor. Fucking inner wolf… Fucking venom…

_Hey Bakura…?_

I didn't answer. Maybe it would just go away…

…_What do you think she meant…? About his will…changing…?_

**Original Closer:**WOOOOOT! Another chapter bites the dust!

Ithil: (rolls her eyes and hides her face in a magazine)

(ignores her yami) Anyway, I hope you enjoy! R&R!

**New Closer: FINALLY! 2100 WORDS! And unfortunately a mini-cliffy... Sorry? Yeah, Bakura and our fourth couple's people are appearing sooner this time around, thus old people get something new and new people get… Well, better plot. I swear, you guys, we are finally out of Kyoto, at last. I would hang myself if I was still within a few hours of the same night for yet another chapter. Two in a row is enough.**

**About Bakura: Okay, Yami Bakura is an evil, manipulative lunatic. Acknowledged. That being said, evil, manipulative lunatic is not redeemable. I NEED redeemable. So I went back to Bakura's past, and asked, "What if he was given a chance, a real one? Where he was given a cause, a meaning for his life, and then went after that with all his manic determination?" Those questions combined with me giving him an interesting back story that I thought complimented Muyo's in a weird way (more on that in another chapter, promise) built ****Wolf's Moon****'s Bakura. He's the same character at his core, his history just changed him from lunatic to rough around the edges. The carnage is still there and will continue, his hands are still stained with blood, but his sanity is holding, and he's capable of interacting with humans without being a manipulative ass. He breaks THINGS now, not PEOPLE, an important difference. So there is my argument, now the nay-sayers may speak.**

**See the last chapter for the long-ass note about this story and its companion, as well as my explanation on names. Translations:**

**Honshū—The largest and central island of Japan**

**-san—honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…**

**Onii-sama—big brother**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura  
**

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto  
**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto  
**

**GO CHECK ME OUT ON DEVIANT ART! There's going to be pics (line art by other people, I just color the damn things) for wolves that we see. Currently up are Tsume and his thugs (who have names, I realized), Muyo, Kaiba, Mokuba, and Shizuka. I'll add to that list as we go along.**

**Link: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**Same as before, only remove the spaces after ever /and period.  
**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	4. Chapter 4: Duke

**Original AN:** Yet another chapter to be written… sighs Oh well… And I have a poll for my faithful readers.

Not all of the couples are going to be done in this story, only three. Which one, besides Yami/Yugi and Muyo/Kaiba, should be done?

_**Blah blah blah about pairings again, which is sad…**_

Please review and tell me! And now, on with the story!

**New AN: Okay, this is going much faster than I hoped. Good! I even have all the chapters plotted out. :D That's very exciting indeed.**

**DUKE SUCKS! Seriously, it took me ages to get into that black pointy headed, dice throwing fiend's brain. I hope I appeal to all our inner Duke fans (he has his quirks I like, I'll give him that much).**

**Be aware, long butt-ugly AN at the end of the chapter that is fairly important.  
**

**Oh, and check this out:  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Spaces need deleted after every / and period.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Four: Duke**

_**Sydney, Australia**_

"Look, would you just listen to me for a change?" I harped into the phone, earning me an annoyed look from the cabbie.

Like I cared.

"Look, she's a half-breed," I reminded him for what had to be the billionth time. "She'd sooner rip out any of our throats then one of theirs. Pack mentality, remember?"

"Muyo _Yukimura _is indeed half-wolf, but she is also half-Hunter," Atem Yukimura said calmly. Too calmly. I also didn't miss the stressing of the lupine bitch's last name. I was in deep trouble. "She is also my half-sister, making her higher rank than you. She has served our clan time and time again. I suggest you remember that Devlin before you try and protest further."

I grumbled but didn't really reply. I knew better from experience then to try and argue now. Atem had the bit between his teeth, so to speak. We wrapped the conversation just about the same time as we reached the condo my family had purchased for me to use during my stay here down under. Climbing out as the greeter opened the door for me, I handed the cabbie his money—most likely overpaying but why did I care?—and shouldered my carry-on with a sigh as I slipped my phone into the messenger bag.

I don't care that he was the head of the entire Hunter clan. I don't care if she was his half-sister. He was a sentimental idiot, and she was a wolf.

Watching the city disappear as the see-through elevator rose up, I mused to myself that perhaps this wouldn't be a bad assignment. A cushy one, it definitely would be. If I wasn't chasing down this wolf bitch, I think I'll be down on the beach. Sydney was one hell of a vacation spot, after all.

Whistling as I entered my new place, I threw my carry-on in the direction of one of the modern, contemporary chairs. It had a twin opposite it, with a matching couch in between them. I smelled my mother's hand in decorating… Thankfully, she stuck to a monochromatic neutrals theme this time, unlike the house at home which was filled with annoyingly bright colors.

How she had Hunter blood I wondered sometimes.

Walking towards the giant wall of windows, I considered exactly what I was doing here, and what the point _really _was. Atem was an expert at mind games. There was no way he was serious about sending a group of newbie hunters out to find something as important as a new weakness for us to use against the mutts. That group of stiffs back home bought it though… There had to be some truth to it, then.

It'd be sweet if I was the one who showed up with it.

No, his real reason has to be something bigger, something more important. He's risking his own neck after all.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a beep coming from the wall. Curious, I found a touch pad that, when I pressed it, revealed that it was connected to my e-mail account, the one specifically made for this mission so I could delete it afterwards. I figured it had to be my father's touch in this, the man is a techno-nut. Smirking, I checked and found three new messages, two from Atem and one from that bitch sister of his, but when I tried to open the e-mail, an alert told me that it was too big for this device. A similar check proved for the other two. Figures Dad's newest gadget had an annoying glitch.

My carry-on had the temporary laptop I was required to use for a mission. Using the hunk of junk, I was finally able to access my files from Atem, which proved to be additions to my current information.

More digging on that female's part found me more background on my target. Serenity Wheeler was actually the granddaughter of the current second-in-comand, who was a third-cousin or something of the leader. Apparently the Wheeler family was spread out and extremely large, with a main branch and several minor ones. Snorting at the thought of the beast multiplying in large numbers so typical to animals, I continued to scan what I had. Private schooling, it looked like, was arranged for most of the children of the family. Atem had pulled strings somewhere to get me into the same place.

What I would pay to be as connected as he is…

It was the e-mail from the she-wolf that caught my attention. Carefully worded, she had numbered the points according to both my original information and Atem's e-mails.

She rambled on and on about Wheeler, who was apparently a very sweet and popular girl, with decent grades. Her mother had apparently been a part of an alliance marriage that hadn't worked out…

Blah, blah, blah…

Useless, all of it. Why did she think I need this junk? Slamming down my laptop's screen rather than read any more of it, I seethed. Wolves were wolves, end of story. Their friends were fellow wolves because of pack mentality. Everyone knows that even the half-breed is extremely strange because she has that piece of obsidian stuck in her forehead. Their families are convenient groups, no love lost between members. So apparently if one spouse dies the other follows, so what? That doesn't imply any real feelings, just that apparently their own magic is so unbalanced it can't even protect them properly.

Growling in frustration, I left the living room to start unpacking. I needed to take my mind off of all this.

I was half-way through my CDs when I wondered how the bitch got my e-mail. No one but Atem was supposed to be able to contact any of us on that account. I could have torn out my hair I was so mad. Thankfully, I stopped myself. I did not want to ruin my good looks over this female, or worse, her meddling brother!

Atem was a grade-A moron.

* * *

Tugging my hair up in my standard ponytail, I made a face in the mirror as I snapped the dark blue band into place. I had been wearing eyeliner for a couple of years now, it was bizarre to see my face without it. Unfortunately, my new school was against guys wearing it, so I was clean faced.

I should take a picture for Mom, she's been whining about my fashion tastes for ages. The dark gray slacks and white polo might make her ill though… Tugging at my shirt, I scowled. It was making _me _ill. Damn Atem and sending me on this mission… He had flattered me too, appealing to my vanity to convince me it was a good idea. Well, look at my vanity now! Scoffing, I finally gave up and left the bathroom, grabbing a small bottle of orange juice and Pop Tarts out of the kitchen as I passed it. I couldn't cook to save my life, and I was in a hurry anyway. They both went into my backpack, a red one I had previously used just for carting stuff around, never actually for school since I had been taught at home. This was definitely going to be an experience.

Much to my disgust, I had to take the public bus to my school, per orders not to flaunt my wealth if I could help it. Dirty, nasty thing, I did at least catch sight of two other fellow students, both human thankfully. I trusted them to find the right stop, memorizing it for the next few weeks in case they were only taking the bus on a whim and normally had a ride or something.

…wonder if I could get my motorbike here…

Brushing aside the random thought, I took in the school building with a sigh of exasperation. My first day at school at my age… Disgusting… Ignoring the feeling, I instead let a cocky smile cross my face. I had skills these dweebs could only dream of having. I had the right to my prideful look and swagger.

Thankfully, it caught me a good bit of attention too, just what I needed.

"Hey there!" a male voice called out from the stone steps leading up to the main door. "You're new around here. What's your name?"

"Duke," I answered with a smirk, and he nodded in greeting. More social graces and some readjusting of space, and I was among the crowd. Chattering about local gossip had me up to speed quickly, and soon I could tell many of these teenagers had forgotten I had just arrived on their territory. Hunter training was useful in high school, who would have thought? They led me with laughter to my homeroom, where we split up, me and two of the guys the only ones in this particular classroom.

The seats were obviously charted, but my new "friends" didn't hesitate to help me find an empty desk to claim. If the rest of this assignment was this easy, I was going to be bored. Reaching into my back, I asked at the perfectly timed moment, "Hey, I can do a little magic. Want to see?"

Of course, the requests were instantaneous, so I quickly pulled out my dice and cup and set to work.

I smirked at the gasps from my new gaggle of onlookers as I revealed the perfectly stacked dice. Mai had been the one to interest me in these little rouses. Hers, of course, was much more elaborate and complex, since she was usually trying to capture the attention of big crowds to signal out the wolves for her personal attentions. I was in a small class of thirteen, maybe, so I figured sticking to slights of hand and similar work would be good enough for them. The girls who had entered sure were entertained.

"Oh wow, Serenity, Ella, come see this!" one of them squealed, raising her hands to gesture to two others stationed by the window. I quickly glanced at her forehead, but it was blank to my eyes as well as those around me. Human. But I definitely doubted there were two girls in the same class with a name like "Serenity."

"Hey Hailey, what's up?" the blonde one asked, cocking her hip before eyeing me carefully. Obviously confident in her appearance and the effect she expected to have on me, I think I upset her a little when my expression didn't change a bit. The peridot in the center of her forehead didn't even have bangs to conceal it. She had to be Serenity. I didn't even look at her friend, too busy focusing on my target. Blondes weren't really my thing, despite my crush on Mai in my early years, so I was really going to have to lay it on thick.

"Show us again, Duke!" her human friend, Hailey, encouraged. Now _she _was more my type, with auburn hair and legs for days. Course, I preferred long hair as opposed to her schoolgirl bob.

"Not a problem," I assured her, repeating my trick.

"Wow, that is so neat!" a voice said by my ear, making my jump. It was the other girl…

And she instantly had my attention.

Although I could only see her profile, her face was sweet in its excitement, hazel eyes bright. The light brown strands of her hair cut to frame her jaw tickled my neck from where she leaned over my shoulder to look at what I had done. Flushing, I realized exactly how close she was and couldn't resist giving her a leer. Thank God for schools and their stupid uniforms. The white polo and gray jumper for the girls left only some to my imagination, and gave a lot of fuel to my fantasies later.

"Hey, Ella, come here! Maggie needs to talk to you about Fencing Club!" another girl called from the door leading back to the hall, but I couldn't really pay attention. My dream girl was about to leave, and I didn't want to miss a moment of watching her yet. But her...? _Fencing_...? She looked way too innocent and gentle...

"Oh, crap, I forgot. Hang on Marie, I'm coming. It was nice meeting you, Duke," the blonde quickly said from in front of me, making something inside of me turn cold.

Wait a minute, the _blonde _was Ella? But that would make…

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself to you," Dream Girl said, stepping back so she could turn and face me, "My name is Serenity, Serenity Wheeler."

And as lovely as seeing her bust from the front was, my eyes couldn't help straying to her forehead.

_Damn._ A peridot stared at me from her forehead accusingly.

"Duke Jones," I stated my alias, reaching out my hand to grasp hers on in greeting. It felt like sticking my hand in an electrical current when our skin made contact.

Oh man… I was in so much trouble…

**Old Closer:**** TBC**

Two in one day! I am awesome!

Or not. R&R

**New Closer: Okay, so? Honestly, I need Duke feedback. Him and Serenity are going to be my weakest chapters, I need help making them better… I had a horrible time writing this, because staying in Duke's head was uncomfortable. Thus why it is so short at about 2100 words… Thank God I only have to write him once more in my plot outline… I'm praying Serenity's two chapters will be easier, not quite so awkward… And how easy it is to do hers will make me decide which of the two narrates their epilogue moment, because at this point only theirs hasn't been figured out, though I'm leaning towards Serenity…**

**I've been messing around on dA… There's a new folder, obviously, of favorite art of our cast for this story (minus an exact one for Muyo, because I honestly have issues finding anything for her but I found a couple, and someone's art trade with a character named Rin comes really close, just minus the silver in her hair, and plus Malik and Marik and one of Jou because I forgot what the fuck I was doing, so oops?) in NORMAL clothes as opposed to the overdramatic dueling outfits. And let me tell you how SUCKY that job was. Some of them were easy, but others? *headdesk* Shoot me. Now. Anywho… Commentary on those and my list of favs are at the BOTTOM of this note (but read the rest first before skipping on down there, please). Some are in there because I just couldn't resist, such as Kaiba just waking up. I may have to include an outtake of that…**

**Speaking of outtakes, there is going to be a little collection of outtakes for both Wolf's Moon and Hunter's Moon too (maybe, I haven't exactly started plotting that one yet, I'm just trying to get through WM), just because there is stuff I want to do (mostly sappy Muyo/Kaiba moments, but I got one Atem/Yugi and Bakura/Ryo one planned so far too) that just are not going to fit into my plot outline, and they are mostly short moments too, but I want them. The collection will be called Eclipsed by the Moon: Outtakes from Wolf's Moon and Hunter's Moon… Or as much of that title as FF will accept. So watch for it when I'm taking breaks during Hunter's Moon later.**

**See the last chapter for the long-ass note about this story and its companion, as well as my explanation on names. Translations:**

**_NONE THIS TIME!_  
**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura  
**

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto  
**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto**

**Southeastern [Sydney, Australia]=Peridot—Unknown. Distant Relative from a Branch of the Family: Serenity Wheeler**

**GO CHECK ME OUT ON DEVIANT ART! There's going to be pics (line art by other people, I just color the damn things) for wolves that we see. Nothing new since last chapter, but if you didn't then, you should now!**

**Link: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**And here's the link for the reference folder again: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Same as before, remove the spaces after ever / and every period.**

**COMMENTARY TIME:**

**Muyo: I have to say, my choice in hair color was apparently bad for finding reference pics. It took ages, and I still only found a few that I liked, all obviously minus silver hair in the front since that is apparently stupid of me. My favorite one, though, is girl by Rainbow-Peppermint. The eye color isn't quite right, and Muyo never has her hair back like that, but overall it **_**feels **_**like Muyo (well, when she's happy), so it was definitely my pic.**

**Mokuba: A few of him are in here, usually with Kaiba (one with him, Kaiba, and Noah that I heart), and a couple of him grown up. For this fic, definite fav is 74ygo by miyamura, since it just shows so well the cute and innocent stage he's still in.**

**Rebecca: Okay, there were only two, TWO decent pics of our current Rebecca on the site, and both had her in an odd pairing. I'm sorry. No real favorite here, but Leon von Schroeder+Rebecca by Kapuchino357 is close enough, I suppose…**

**Kaiba: Okay, since I'm a KaibaGirl to the bone, this one was the one where I was all sorts of happy to search and actually helped start the hunt. Problem? Kaiba boy is way too popular in his white coat, so finding anything else took a while. He's rarely alone too, which makes it worse. My favorites (plural) for this fic will have to be Trade: Rin x Kaiba by *Gis-likes-To, because something about him looks so cool and yet protective plus Rin (again) looks a good deal like Muyo too, and then Seto Kaiba in suit by *evilSetoKaiba shows us the corporate world Kaiba, which is valuable.**

**Yugi: Okay, surprising easy to find those who followed my belief that Yugi has purple hair rather than the red of the anime series. I was very happy. My fav pic for him alone is definitely yugi by `hibbary. Admittedly, there is no puzzle in this fic, but the drawing style was too amazing to pass. There is also a pic that perfectly shows my Yugi and Atem together, Yami x Yugi slashin by looneylucifer. A little…well, more risqué, then I necessarily wanted for a reference pic, but the colors are there.**

**Atem: Okay, a wee bit trickier, because obviously I had to decide if I wanted to find him tan or not. Since I decided Muyo was so pale, I thought it would be fair if not all of that came from her mother so I stuck to ones that had Atem fairly similar to Yugi instead. Eyes were a wee bit of an issue, few people like red eyes, but I managed a couple (I think). Favorite stand alone is Yami Yugi by darkfurre, since it seems to show softness to his expression we rarely see, and again I heart big time the one of him and Yugi together.**

**Bakura: Everyone loves this lunatic, but unfortunately most stuck to his coloring when he possesses Ryo's body when it comes to modern clothing, so most of his reference fics are in black and white. One that's coloring comes close that I like is Bakura by stargarde.**

**Ryo: Again, everyone loves the lunatic. Normal Ryo needs more love on dA. I found a handful, though. My fav is Ryou Bakura-Sleep by kawaii6, because something about it seems a little sad, but not completely broken.**

**Serenity: Okay, I'm scarred for life. Serenity and PEGASUS? Gak! My favorites, though, are one she is in with Jou, YGO-You're the best… by =Yuki-mono, and then one where it looks like she is taking the picture by herself, Hey There, Sunshine by atnezau. Both show the fun, bubbly person she is and yet she's dedicated to her family. With the latter, it shows her fairly tan, which with her new location doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.**

**Duke: I was HIGHLY reluctant to add any with his headband, since I don't use it. His hair is up, just no headband… I think there is one or two in there like that though, it was kinda hard to avoid. My fav is, DE: Duke Devlin by zeroangelcrystal even though he is a little too old and it's in black and white. I figured it still works, and I enjoy it.**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	5. Chapter 5: Kaiba

**Original AN: ** **Okay, cutting has been done. There may or may not be sequals to this, but the couples for this one at least are decided.**

**Muyo/Kaiba (main)**

**Yami/Yugi**

**Bakura/Ryou**

**The rest will be addressed later. There, now that I'm done with that, I'm moving on. Bakura and Ryou aren't ready yet, but they will be soon. For now, please be satisfied with more Muyo and Kaiba****.**

**New AN: Okay, on to Kaiba's mental land. And for the record? Kaiba's inner wolf? CRACKS ME UP! I could not resist making it the way I do. He's just so stiff…**

**Oh, and check this out:  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Spaces need deleted after every / and period.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Five: Seto**

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

_Name: Mizuno Maiko. Age: 19. Birth Date: December 30, 19xx._

None of those bare facts caught my attention, though the age certainly was mental hangnail for a moment. No, what caught my attention was further down the application, in an optional section.

_Race/Ethnicity: Other, unspecified._

There was an unwritten code among Moon Children. On job applications, your ethnicity is _always _other, unspecified. This tells any of your potential employers who have that blood that there is a chance that you are a Moon Child so they are at least a little warned ahead of time. Not always was it the case, but more often than not.

Drumming my fingers, I hesitated. If I opened that file, I was dedicating myself to doing the interview. She was nineteen. Her name was "Dance Child" for Moon's sake, though perhaps the "Of Ice" surname was meant to undercut the flightiness of her first. Or perhaps it was just irony since her birthday was smack dab in the middle of winter. The point remained there was no way she had the skills I needed.

_Yeah, but if she's got any sense of morals and family and is aware of the lunar cycles she's already three up on the last one. What was her name again?_

I snarled at the memory, displeased with my inner wolf for bringing it up. _Tomo. Yoshida Tomo. Airheaded, lazy, and she always scheduled meetings I couldn't get out of the day of or after a full moon._

_Exactly. But you opened the file because she was 26 and had a decent name, "wisdom." Then her qualifications were okay, and her interview was passable. You thought you would be okay. Look where are you are now, hmm? Staring at more files. Face it, Seto. You need to give this one a shot before you judge, and you need to let me tell yah when we are in danger of another Tomo._

Sighing to myself, I acknowledged that it was right. It had been cautiously doubtful of my last personal assistant, and here I am looking for another one. It was the only being allowed to argue with me, much less be right occasionally, and only because it was inside my head and no one had to overhear me admit I was wrong.

I scowled at the innocent application clipped to a folder. That application didn't do much good, it wasn't supposed to. Name, basic facts, and a few optional questions that she had painstakingly written out in her delicate script, the blue ink not even linked together by her not picking up her pen enough. Disgustingly perfect and neat.

_Exactly what I need, too._

Before I could outthink myself, I reached over and snapped the front of the folder back, breaking the seal I know my secretary put there so she could tell which ones caught my interest despite my protests later. If Akira had her way, I would have a new PA by the end of the week; she was so swamped with her own work plus the extra duties. And Inoue Akira was painfully used to getting her way, even with me occasionally when I wasn't paying enough attention.

My mind was pulled from reminiscing over my almost daily mental battles with my secretary by the picture that was glaring at me from the folder.

_She is _not _glaring, you are just shocked, _my wolf chided me.

I had the right to be shocked. Moon Children coloring was usually based on two factors, hair and skin color. My own coat was brown, a few shades lighter than my eyes, while Mokuba's tanned skin assured that his black coat wasn't dampened in hue at all. That being said, it was _obvious _what coloring this she-wolf, with her dark hair that turned silvery white in the front and pale skin, would have, and those blue eyes were too unique to belong to anyone else.

The loner female from the lunar eclipse, the one Mokuba was so terribly fond of in such a short time. To further damn her was the piece of obsidian set in the center of her forehead…

_Good. Mokuba hated Tomo, and for good reason._

_Shut up. She's a loner._

_So?_

_She's not pack!_

_You mean you can't control her._

_Yes._

_Good. You need a slap on the nose occasionally, and that's what a PA does, remember?_

Scowling, I scanned her work history and further qualifications to prove that she was going to be inadequate unless she had a phenomenal, and therefore impossible, interview.

Unfortunately, what I saw written in more of her neat handwriting was the exact opposite. Certification for record keeping, expert computer skills, and even some management, she was reportedly fluent in at least five languages, Japanese and English both listed. Schooling wise, all she had listed was home schooling till age seventeen and then business school, an excellent one in Hokkaido. Her previous job had been as a PA for two years while in business school to another corporate head, who had given her an excellent recommendation that was sealed so I knew he hadn't been pressured into writing something better or worse than she deserved.

_Damn._

_Oh quit bellyaching like Mokuba after too much pocky. She's good, at least on paper. You don't have to commit until after an interview._

_Who needs an interview? I saw enough at the gathering._

_You mean where she defended your ass from Toru when he tried to attack from behind? Or when she got Mokuba out of danger? Or when she brought him back when he got separated…?_

…_Shut up._

I really hated it when my inner wolf had more validations then I had disqualifications. Scanning her application again, I found where it said why she moved. All it said was _family reasons. _With a frown, I scanned her previous employer's letter again. The same, just that she had left because of something with her family.

_Alright, let's hear an answer about why she left the last job. If it's decent… I'll give her an interview._

_Thank the Moon, you see reason after all._

Ignoring the jib, I reached for my phone and carefully dialed the only number listed, a cell from the looks of it. _No land line? How unprofessional…_ I couldn't help the thought as I taped my fingers on my desktop impatiently.

Just as I was about to give up, the annoying buzz stopped and a female voice greeted breathlessly, "Moshi, moshi."

"Mizuno Maiko?" I confirmed, my brow furrowing as I leaned back in my chair. Why had it taken so long and why was she out of breath?

"This is she."

"I'm calling about the personal assistant position at Kaiba Corp. I was wanting to ask a few questions."

"Oh, right, give me a moment please," she stated. _Stated, not even a _hint _of a question. _Before I could seethe for too long, I heard a very loud thumping noise coming from the other line. Sitting up a little straighter, I listened to the muffled voice. She had obviously pressed her phone into her shoulder in hopes I wouldn't overhear.

"Rebecca, please come take the top two boxes to the office, please, but leave the bottom one," she called in perfect, only mildly accented English. "I have a call about a possible job to take."

The response was unheard, but obviously it was an affirmative since I heard the phone move from her shoulder. However, something caught this Mizuno Maiko's attention. "No," she said firmly, "leave the bottom box. I mean it, Rebecca." I heard the faint, high pitched whines of a little girl, but was brought back to the conversation by Mizuno stating clearly to me, back in Japanese, "Sorry about that, we're still moving in and things are a little crazy. I have a free moment now though."

"What's in the bottom box?" I had to ask, my curiosity was killing me.

"Pots and pans," she answered promptly, obviously not that surprised I had overheard her conversation, "And Rebecca is a midget and doesn't need to be carrying a box that heavy."

An indignant shout from Rebecca was heard even over the phone. I barely resisted the urge to chuckle. "Rebecca is your daughter?" I asked, wanting to see if this would resolve the family question so quickly. A daughter would be a decent reason to move, if her health mentally, emotionally, or physically was in danger. I would do the same for Mokuba, and he was just my little brother.

"Oh no, half-sister," Mizuno corrected, hesitating before sighing and continuing on, "Actually, one I didn't know about until a couple of weeks ago when I was alerted my father had given me sole guardianship of her upon his death. I barely knew the man, though, so I guess it shouldn't have been that much of a shock. My mother had been a one-time-only deal for him, me a happy little accident for her to remember it. She died when I was young, so I've been on my own since. Apparently, my father kept tabs on my mother and me, and thought my name convenient for a guardian since he never imagined dying before Rebecca was eighteen. Unfortunately, their car crashed about two blocks away from their home in upstate New York two months ago, and I was alerted. I've had Rebecca since three days ago. I quit my old job because despite the atmosphere, Sato-sensei needed someone who could work long hours and weekends for less pay, and I needed a bigger apartment since I was living in a one-room flat. I suppose that little story answers most of your questions?"

_Oh, she's a clever bitch, and she has your number, Seto._

_Clever indeed…_

"I was wondering about that, yes," I responded, making it clear in my tone I did not approve of her presumptions, "though I find it odd you felt the need to ramble out that story."

"I knew that anyone calling about my application would have questions, since I purposefully left out details," she informed me, her tone dry, "I didn't want to write them because words can be twisted to how they are interpreted."

_Oh, I like her already._

_Hush, then, and let me schedule an interview._

_You're going to go through with it?_

_She's…intriguing…_

"Thank you, Mizuno-san. I believe Inoue-san will be in contact with you tomorrow when you aren't quite so harried by moving activities to schedule an interview as soon as available for both of us."

"Thank you, Kaiba-sensei. Good night."

I heard the phone disconnect, slightly disjointed from the real world at the moment. How had she known it was me…?

* * *

The next day, I was still puzzling out how Mizuno had possibly known who I was over the phone.

It was amusing Akira to no end.

"Honestly, Kaiba-kun, she might just have an ear for vocals," she tried to assure me with a grin, ignoring my glare at her nickname for me. If she wasn't so damn good at her job, I would have fired her for it. "Our wolf voices aren't that different, after all," she reminded me. While not a member of my personal pack, Akira was one of the Western Pack as a whole, as the sapphire set under her auburn bangs attested.

"I didn't recognize hers," I argued back.

"You have no ear for tones," she quipped back. I glared at her, only making her laugh again as she set down a pile of paper work needing my approval. "She called early this morning," Akira added almost absently over her shoulder as she walked to my office door for her own desk, "Her appointment is this afternoon between your meeting with the Big Five and Mokuba-kun stopping by after school."

I refrained from throwing something at her…barely…and spent the next few hours neck deep in the daily and long term running of Kaiba Corp. Half of what I did should have been done by my PA, but those duties had been split between me and Akira for now which made both of us so busy we rarely left our desks.

I didn't even realize it was afternoon until Akira buzzed me. "Mizuno-san is here, Kaiba-sensei," she informed me, tone polite and proper like it would be for a secretary of a CEO. I informed her to send her on in as I pushed aside work and grabbed her file.

_If Maiko stays, she and Akira are going to make your life hell…_

_Oh, so it's Maiko now? What, no –chan?_

…_and you are going to love every minute of it._

My inner wolf's gleeful comments were thankfully cut short by the opening of the office door. My throat was suddenly very dry.

I never looked at the she-wolves. It was never a good idea, since my inner wolf seemed to take great joy in making perverse comments. But that hadn't stopped me from noticing that the angry lupine that had saved my brother by getting him out of the way of Tsume had potential to be lovely…when she wasn't snarling and ripping another wolf's ear to shreds.

Seeing her in human form made it clear that lovely was not the word I had needed…

Her odd hair had been pulled back in a French twist, I recognized, the silver in the front kept cut in hemlocks and bangs to frame her face and accent exactly how bright her blue eyes were. Pale skin contrasted with a moderately conservative, dark suit with a skirt rather than pants, making her legs even longer and ending with dark heels that just the tip of her toes were exposed in. The pale blue shirt underneath left a tantalizing amount of cleavage exposed…

_Oh hell… Bitch, where have you been all our lives?_

_Shut up! This is a job interview! _Job! I did not need my inner wolf's rather…sensualistic…nature to interfere right now.

"Mizuno-san," I greeted coolly.

She bowed, polite and neat, "Kaiba-sensei," she greeted. I heard just the faintest of trembles.

_She's nervous… Good._

_Be nice, Seto. I like her._

_Shut up!_

Tuning it out, I directed my attention back to Mizuno for the rest of our interview. Unlike before in the park, she was rather docile and timid, being all too careful to stay within some sort of boundaries she had set up for herself. While it annoyed me on one hand since I knew she could be fiery, at the same time the cool manner told me she could handle being around top executives without embarrassing me.

_Damn her. She's good._

_Of course she is. You knew that coming in. Now let her go, Mokuba's coming in five minutes. You can call her with the news about her new job later._

_I never said I was hiring her._

_You will or you will not like what I do to you._

_What's that? You're in my head, you moron. You can't harm me._

_Yeah, but I have influence on your libido. Running at full mast around your female staff will catch some attention._

_You wouldn't dare._

_Try me._

_Dog._

_Woof._

"You are free to go," I informed her shortly, practically biting out the words and narrowing my eyes at her.

Her expression showed her surprise at my unnecessarily rude dismissal. "Very well. Good day, Kaiba-sensei."

"Mizuno-san," I dismissed her firmly, trying to ignore my leering inner wolf as it noticed her retreating form.

_Daaaamn…_

_Shut up…_

I groaned and covered my eyes at its antics, trying to figure out what I did to deserve it. Thankfully, the pressing silence of my office was interrupted by a familiar, gleeful voice calling, "Ani-ue, ani-ue!"

I barely managed not to smile as my as-always eager brother came bounding into my office. Despite the seven year age gap, we had always been close. It was a known fact I would do anything for him.

Patting his head as he hugged me tightly in greeting, I couldn't help asking, "Aren't you getting a little old for this?"

"No, next year I'll be too old. Twelve is still alright," he assured me with an arrogant smile.

Can't imagine where he picked it up from.

"How was school?" I asked as he settled down, the two of us moving to the more lounge-like part of my office to relax on the couches there, as was our routine. It was the only peaceful moment of my day until supper, at the earliest, and any who worked for me learned that rather quickly.

He shrugged as he sat his satchel down by his feet. "It was alright, though the Games Club cancelled their meeting today because Koji-kun is on vacation till Monday," he informed me with a sigh. I resisted the urge to laugh at his disappointment. His required extracurricular activity was filled with fellow gaming enthusiasts like both of us, and only there was Mokuba usually treated like one of their own rather than as my little brother. Thus, getting him to come home from the meetings was usually the trickiest part of Roland's day, and the misery of Shizuka's when he was sick since all he could do was think about what he was missing.

He interrupted my inner thought process with one of his memories lurching forward. "Oh, there was a new girl today, Porter… Porter something," he said with a frown, brow furrowing as he tried to recall. "I don't really remember… She was an American, though, and a scholarship student, I remember that. She's living with her older sister. I thought it was neat that there were other families like ours when she said that. She isn't one of us, but still, she seemed really nice. She had to buy lunch today, and a few of the other kids teased her."

"Did you?" I asked, quirking a brow. I didn't think he would, he usually bought lunch himself.

"Nah, I told them to leave her alone, she was the new kid," he informed me with a shrug.

Inwardly, I was proud of him for standing up for her. However, I only nodded in response before suggesting, "Perhaps you should ask if she likes games and needs an extracurricular activity Monday. Didn't you say yesterday your club needed another member to make your membership quota at the end of the month?"

"Yeah, I did. Thanks, Ani-ue!" he chirped. This time, I did let myself laugh a little as I ruffled his hair.

Only after he left did I consider Mizuno again. She was really well suited for this job, plus she obviously could handle kids if she was caring for a younger sister on her own, and a foreign one at that. Hell, if we had to work weekends on a big project that half-sister could be company for Mokuba. I'm sure he'd welcome the change from Roland's constant company.

_Smart puppy._

_Not a word from you._

_Okay, fine, be that way. I'd call soon though, and tell Akira you've picked someone to start Monday before she calls someone for you._

It was right, damn it. Hitting my intercom, I did exactly that. Akira squealed with obvious relief and joy. Apparently, she and Mizuno had chatted after she left my office and the two were quick to becoming fast friends. Great, exactly what I needed… Sighing, I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair in frustration. I guess I had to get this over with.

Again, the cell phone ran for a few minutes before she finally picked up. "Can you ever reach your phone in a timely manner?" I barked instead of a polite greeting. This was not a habit I could tolerate.

I could almost hear her spine stiffening in indignation. "Usually, I'm not moving into a new apartment or cooking dinner for my family," she informed me icily. Glancing at the clock, I winced. It was just shy of the normal dinner hour. I was in the wrong here.

Not that I would admit it though. "I expect you to answer your phone more promptly in the future," I informed her coolly.

All I heard was silence at first, before I clearly overheard the half-sister, Rebecca, again. "Maiko, do I have to use these?" she whined in English.

"Japanese, Rebecca," Maeko corrected absently, not slipping into English like I had expected her to. "And yes, you do. Kaiba-sensei, did you just say I got the job?"

"How do you always know it's me?" I demanded instead.

"Because there can only be so many people in the world with so much arrogance in their tones I want to whap them on the nose with a rolled up newspaper when they talk, and I've met most of them," she snipped back, surprising a chuckle out of me. "What, what did I say?"

"You and my inner wolf are in agreement then over what PA does," I informed her dryly. "Monday morning, nine o'clock."

"Yes, Kaiba-sensei. Good evening to you," she answered. I could tell I had stunned her, either by offering the job or laughing. I didn't bother asking which, I just disconnected the phones.

Yes, Mizuno would prove entertaining to be around, if nothing else.

**Old Closer:**** Short and sweet, I know, but I thought you all might appreciate a new chapter to bring in the new year. See ya all in 2007!**

**New Closer: …or, you know, 2009. The END of 2009 for that matter. *headdesk***

…**IT IT IS DONE!!! THE MASSIVE REWRITE IS DONE!!! Okay, so moving on… Yay for new chapter on the number list to show up on the updates next time! :D**

**KAIBA! Why? You are cold and silent in the show, why did you ramble for OVER 3500 words this time? God, I hope this isn't a theme with him…**

**See the last chapter for the long-ass note about this story and its companions, Hunter's Moon and Eclipsed by the Moon (or my profile, it's there too), as well as my explanation on name choices. Translations:**

**Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City**

**-chan— cutesy name for children and adolescent girls**

**-san— honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…**

**-sensei— a title applied to those in of higher authority and/or expertise, such as teachers, doctors, etc…, including the boss in a corporate enviroment**

**Moshi moshi—typical phone greeting in Japan**

**Ani-ue—big brother**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura  
**

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto  
**

**Southeastern [Sydney, Australia]=Peridot—Unknown. Distant Relative from a Branch of the Family: Serenity Wheeler  
**

**GO CHECK ME OUT ON DEVIANT ART! There's going to be pics (line art by other people, I just color the damn things) for wolves that we see. Nothing new since last chapter, but if you didn't then, you should now!**

**LNF's Wolves: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**Reference Folder for Humans: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Same as before, remove the spaces after ever / and every period.**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	6. Chapter 6: Yugi

**AN: WOOT! New chapter, I'm happy.**

_**WARNING! **_**WARNING! **_**WARNING!**_

**If you have not reread the first FIVE chapters of this story as of 12/10/09, you are going to be BEYOND lost and confused (ha, thought I was going to make a pun on my penname, didn't yah?) and I will have no sympathy! SO HIT THAT BACK ARROW AND REREAD THEM PRONTO!!**

**Oh, and check this out:  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Spaces need deleted after every / and period.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Six: Yugi**

_**Boston, Massachusetts**_

There were few chores as mindless as setting down chairs and wiping the tables for the Saturday lunch crowd. Thankfully, the _Saturday_ part of that chore made it more bearable, since Mom ran the pub hours according to when I could be around to help out, and then of course Sunday was the unofficial day off at the end of the week.

Setting down the last of the chairs, I wiped sweat off of my brow before going to fetch my wash cloth from the last table. Mom wanted to open around eleven today, and I wouldn't have to be back here till four to help with the dinner crowd. What this meant, I wasn't sure yet. I rarely was the one who planned what I did in my free time.

_Despite the fact we're, I don't know, the head alpha, maybe?_

_Ah, come on. It's nice not to have to figure out everything all the time, and you know it, _I chided my inner wolf with a soft chuckle out loud. _Besides, we would just study or play a game if we were left to our devices._

_True. We are very boring._

_Hey! That was not what I meant, and you know it!_

Before my wolf had time to mock me, I heard the chiming of the bell signaling someone had walked in despite the "Closed" sign on the door. Looking up, I saw a familiar bright yellow ribbon and sighed, though there was a smile on my face.

"Yugi! Hurry up, we need to get going!" Miho whined, her hands on her hips as she pouted at me like it would do any good. Her bright blue hair practically glowed in the half-light, and I snickered as I remembered how she had discovered at the last full moon that all her fur had turned that color too.

"Well, maybe if I knew where we were going, I'd hurry more," I teased her, carelessly finishing the last table. Throwing my rag into the bucket of lukewarm, soapy water, I carried it back to the kitchen where Mom was busy checking supplies for the day. I heard Miho follow me with an exasperated sigh.

Mom looked up when I sat down the bucket, "Thanks Yugi," she said with a grateful smile, before turning her attention back to her work in the giant walk-in fridge.

"Not a problem," I reminded her. I was always happy to help out.

"Yugi, come on!" Miho whined again, "I didn't stand in line for ages to get tickets for the exhibit only for you to make us late."

"Exhibit…? You mean you have tickets for the touring Egyptian relics exhibit at the museum?" I questioned her with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Miho was a bit of a ditz, but I had been rambling about that exhibit for ages. I never thought she would be the one to go with me to it.

She smiled at me smugly, obviously picking up on my train of thought. "Of course, you goob," she teased me, reaching into her purse and pulling out the long, bright yellow sheets that would let us in. "You've been excited about it for the last two months when it was in that magazine for history nerds like you."

I blinked in surprise. Miho would occasionally blindside me when she pulled herself out of the clouds. Perhaps that's why we were such good friends. My inner wolf in particular was bored easily and needed constant challenges and surprises. Usually, I kept it satisfied with puzzles and games, but interactions with Miho were always pleasant too. Problem was, I doubted I would ever find someone who interested me on a more instinctual level that wouldn't bore my wolf…

Shoving aside those thoughts for when I was alone, I beamed up at Miho. "Alright then, Miss Ribbon," I teased, using her class nick-name, "Lead the way."

Giggling, she did exactly that. We were on the sidewalk and I waited for it. It would come in about five seconds…

One… Two… Three… Four…

"Yugi?" Miho said my tentatively.

_And there she goes._

_Now, she needs someone to ask._

_I know, but why is it always us?_

_Because we're her friends and we can view things from a similar angle. Now let's listen._

"What is it, Miho?" I asked casually. When she averted her eyes, I asked shrewdly, "Is it Shane again?"

"Oh Yugi," she wailed, finally cracking, "I don't know what to do! He barely even looks at me!"

Clucking soothingly, I refrained from rolling my eyes. Her unrequited crush on Shane Long was getting a little tiring, but at the same time I had to be a good friend and talk her through the current dilemma. "Calm down, now, Miho. Now, what happened this time?"

"Well, I… I left a white orchid in his locker," she told me with a sniffle, "With… with a note attached by a yellow ribbon. It…It had all my feelings written on it and I… I found it and the flower in the trash!" Her voice rose dangerously high at the end.

Not that I blamed her. The trash? _Seriously? _I never figured Shane as that big of a douche. I know he isn't like me, interested mostly in guys, so why would he be so rude?

_What about that one girl? The redhead, the one we keep seeing by his locker?_

_Kaoruko…? You don't think…_

_If the orchid was left in plain sight…_

"Miho," I began tentatively, "Did you leave the orchid in his locker, or just tuck in the slots?"

"Tucked in the slots, I don't know his locker combination, duh," she gave me an accusing look, but then seemed to realize where I was going. "Oh, you mean… You think someone else trashed it?"

Nodding my head, I smiled encouragingly, "Yeah, I'm sure that was the case. Shane doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would throw something like that away insensitively."

"Watch it Yugi," she teased, "He's my man, and I'm sure he doesn't swing your way."

"Ouch, rub it in," I teased back.

Our banter continued until we reached the steps to the cold museum that seemed to scream, "Go away, my halls are for study." Too bad. I could spend all day here.

_Could? We have._

_You've got a point there._

Inside, I took a deep breath, appreciating the slightly stale air as I looked at familiar artifacts that I had spent hours studying and doing private research on. I would love to be a historian or an archeologist after school was done, and it seemed to be in my best interest to do as much studying as possible now.

Miho laughed at me and tugged me away before I sidetracked too much, yanking further into the building and down the still slightly empty halls towards the back wing, where traveling exhibits were placed. Last had been a Greek exhibit, one that usually came every year, but this year an Egyptian exhibit was visiting for the first time.

Egypt had always been an area of interest, not just for me but for others within the Moon Children. It was supposedly where the ancient feud with the Hunter clan began. Saya, the original Huntress, was Egyptian according to our oldest records, and there was some relation to her and a Child named Kiai, who had been traveling from Japan, but the records were not specific at all, and the ones that could have told us why we had this ancient enemy were too damaged or too delicate.

I would kill to get my hands on that information… Or, maim, anyway.

None of the other packs, more than my own, wanted the source for that feud to be found. If we could someone put an end to it, without killing off all the Hunters, we would all be happy. Only a few families had blood grudges, and those were with specific, usually extremely viscious, Hunters, and other than that we could be at peace if we just knew why they were after us.

_They may not know themselves, anymore. Their records are at least as old, and perhaps not as thorough._

_We don't know for sure… I just wish we did…_

Pushing aside my concerns, I examined the exhibit thoughtfully. It was centered, as most were, around the pharaohs' tombs and the like, nothing I really had interest in. As I turned my head to ask Miho if she was ready to move to the neck room, crimson and blonde caught my attention.

Trying to follow it with my head, I finally caught the person for at least a moment…

_His hair's like ours, only crimson instead of violet… And he has more blonde…_

_That's a little strange… Wonder who he is?_

_He smells like ambergris…_

_What…?_

_He smells like ambergris… And leather…_

I flushed as I realized exactly where my inner wolf's thoughts were going: the gutter. I was overly found of leather myself, and had always found ambergris pleasant. I had never met someone who had both scents though.

Before I could walk up and talk to the one who had my inner wolf's attention, I seemed to blink and he was gone.

"Yugi? What are you staring at?" Miho asked from beside me.

"Huh? Oh, there was this guy… His hair was like mine," I told her faintly, my brow furrowing a little.

"Like yours? I somehow don't think porcupine hair is in fashion," she teased.

"Hey!" I cried, indignant, but not really upset. That didn't mean I had stopped thinking about this stranger, but I had an exhibit to explore! Miho led the way through the rooms, finding something to entertain herself while I looked for new information and enjoyed just being surrounded by history.

Unfortunately, I still had that scent burned into my memory when I finally returned to the pub. Mom was tending to what few customers there were, giving me time to run upstairs and lose my leather bracelets and armband, not to mention a belt or two. I had to appear a bit more respectable around customers, even though most were local Moon Children themselves and familiar with my habits.

Just as I was about to head back downstairs and grab an apron, I saw I had a letter sitting on the desk for me. Grinning, I recognized the sloppy English. Grandpa Muto ran a game shop in Japan, but he thankfully realized I couldn't read a word of the local script and wrote in English…as best he could, anyway. Mom had to play translator occasionally, having studied Japanese in college which is where she apparently met Dad…

Wincing, I curbed away from those memories. They were still too fresh.

_Best get downstairs… Dinner starts early for the usual crowd, remember._

_Right, right…_

Heading downstairs, I waved at Mom as I grabbed an apron and an order pad. She waved back, gratitude already on her face. It was always easier on her to run the bar while I worked the tables and booths. We had a local guy and his sister who helped fix the food and do the dishes, as long as I took the orders and bused the tables later.

Humming to myself, I walked to the corner booth, the only one I had seen that had someone in it and no red card signaling they had already placed an order. "Hello, welcome to the Rambling Rose, what can I… get you…?" My voice hitched as a familiar scent hit my nose and I looked more closely at the booth's sole occupant.

Like my inner wolf had noted, he had a style similar to mine, just with a few more streaks of blonde and crimson to my own violet. From the way he was sitting, I guessed him to be taller than me, though not by much, and he was definitely more subtly muscled than I was. His face was stronger than mine, and his eyes were the color of garnets, though definitely warmer he smiled at me kindly. The sun had been kind to his skin, giving him a sun kissed look that was only accented by the black he wore… Black silk and leather…

Swallowing thickly, I said bluntly, "You were at the Egyptian exhibit, at the museum, today…weren't you?"

"Yes," he answered simply, and a spark seemed to enter those eyes. I could hear my inner wolf practically purring. "Yes, I was. I noticed you as well. It was hard not to, with us being so similar in appearance at first glance. But there are differences, aren't there? Good ones, I think…"

"Yeah… Yeah, I think so too," I agreed with a nod, my eyes slightly wide. My wits had scattered completely. "Oh, I'm Yugi Muto, by the way."

"Yami Minamoto," he introduced himself, offering me his hand. I took it unabashedly, but was not expecting the flow of energy between us, strong and enough to suck me under before I was aware I had been ensnared.

_He is quite…interesting…_

_You are interested in him, then? We can have him, or let him have us?_

_For now… And it will definitely be him having us…_

I flushed at my inner wolf's thoughts and pulled back my hand. I shivered a little as the spark in Yami's eyes grew brighter. Oh yes… I think it would _definitely _be him having me…

**Closer: YUGI! You are supposed to be innocent darling… Well, he's innocent in the ways of the world, at least…Yami Yugi was always the one who sucked at social interactions anyway, so it makes sense that Yugi knows more then he does…**

**See the last chapter for the long-ass note about this story and its companions, Hunter's Moon and Eclipsed by the Moon (or my profile, it's there too), as well as my explanation on name choices. Translations:**

_**NONE THIS TIME!**_

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura  
**

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto  
**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto  
**

**Southeastern [Sydney, Australia]=Peridot—Unknown. Distant Relative from a Branch of the Family: Serenity Wheeler  
**

**GO CHECK ME OUT ON DEVIANT ART! There's going to be pics (line art by other people, I just color the damn things) for wolves that we see. Nothing new since last chapter, but if you didn't then, you should now!**

**LNF's Wolves: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**Reference Folder for Humans: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Same as before, remove the spaces after ever / and every period.**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	7. Chapter 7: Ryo

**AN: Okay, I am NEVER writing grief-stricken characters again. Doing it to Kaiba and Kisara was just fun because tormenting Kaiba is WAAAAAY too easy. But Ryo is just… Well, he's depressing, and while I know he eventually gets out of his little funk, that doesn't exactly help me write the chapter, does it? He's a quiet little griever too, which does NOT help matters. Ugh. However, I have managed to produce something, at least.**

**Oh, and check this out:  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Spaces need deleted after every / and period.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Six: Ryo**

_**London, England**_

I never really thought much about the rain. I was never allowed out in it much as a child, since I took sick too often after getting only slightly damp.

_Amane loved the rain,_ my inner wolf reminded me, his voice soft, _She loved jumping in the puddles._

My eyes drifted closed at the reminder, the rainfall hiding the tears that a wolf shouldn't be able to shed that the simple thought had started.

_Amane…_

_She_ had been running to the store for me. I had needed more sand for my glass project, and _she_ had wanted a particular glaze for the pottery _she_ had just fired. Mother… Mother had gone with _her_ because she didn't want _her_ carrying the heavy bag by _herself_.

It had been raining then too.

Opening my eyes reluctantly, I could feel as the sun rose. While I could retain my wolf shape whenever I wished, it was always harder when the sun was blocking the rays of the moon, or the moon wasn't showing its luminous face.

I guess that's how our people earned their name "Moon Children."

Classes started in an hour anyway. My body began the shift from wolf to man, the sensation of bones shifting and fur regressing mildly uncomfortable. Walking inside my small apartment, I ran my fingers through my hair. The cotton of my pajama pants felt abrasive after so long as a wolf.

Another night lost to insomnia.

The alarm blared from its place on the bedside table. It was with an absent gesture I turned it off, much like it was force of habit to set it. As if in a daze, I pulled random clothes from my closet and dressed. I had a couple of hours until I had a science lab. Maybe I could actually sketch something. I need new projects, anyway. I had finished my last collection, _Exhale_, months ago, and my advisors were giving me time to come up with something for the next one, though preliminary sketches were due last week. Still, if I had nothing at the end of the semester, I wouldn't be able to stay at the university. And right now, that was the only place I felt even remotely happy.

Sitting down at the desk in the corner of my small studio, I opened the pad of paper to a blank page. A pencil in hand, I tried to let my thoughts go.

Nothing came to mind.

_We never have done well with paper,_ my inner wolf reminded me, _we just played with clay till we had an idea, remember?_

_Yeah… Amane…_ I swallowed and forced myself to finish the thought, _Amane was the one who had to draw everything out before she actually did anything._

Frustrated, I slammed the cover back down over the sketch pad. I wasn't going to get anything done, I knew that now. _She_ was constantly in my thoughts, everything serving as a reminder. Tossing the pencil aside, I grabbed the pad in case a miracle happened later and I was inspired enough to jot something down. It found its way inside my backpack with the Botany text book and the notebook I took notes in.

Botany.

Even my required lab science reminded me of _her._ We had enrolled in the class together because _she_ loved flowers, and wanted to know everything about them. I went along with it. Because I always went along with it. _She _was the light to my shadow… How was it I was supposed to go on without _her_ again?

_Just put one foot in front of the other_, my inner wolf reminded me gently.

Shouldering my bag, I nodded at my pasty and exhausted expression. _Yeah… One foot in front of the other…_

* * *

"Ryo!"

I flinched, ducking my head down and trying to hurry into the classroom. _Not today, please not today…_

"Ryo, there you are!" Dani greeted perkily her hand resting on my elbow, just as I made it through the doorway. "I didn't expect to see you so soon after the funeral."

"Yeah, well…" I muttered awkwardly, flinching as I remembered the event.

It had been raining then too. The wind had struggled to rise and scatter the ashes…

"I just wanted to let you know that all of Amane's friends are here for you… You know, if you need someone to talk to about her," she said sweetly, her own pale face perfectly portraying sympathy and concern, as she interrupted my morbid memory. Not a single red hair was out of place, and she looked completely normal. Yeah, she was really broken up still over _her _death. "Amane was a real dear, and it is so tragic that we lost her."

_You didn't lose anyone!_ I wanted to shout despite the fact something was now lodged in my throat. Inside, my wolf was growling at her, furious. _You barely knew _her. She_ was my twin!_

"_Excuse-moi, mes amis, mais, _you're kinda blockin' da way," a French accented voice thankfully kept Dani from continuing to try and sympathize with me. She instantly went into flirt mode, just like _she_ used to say she would.

"Well hello—Oh my God!" her gasp and shriek made me wince, my hearing sensitive anyway but worse when I spent the whole night as a wolf. Jerking my head around to snap at her, I found myself in a similar state of shock. Darker toned then I was and with rougher lines, he was still… Well, he was like a darker version of me.

_I thought we were supposed to be the shadow,_ my inner wolf tried to joke. I just winced at the reminder of how wrong this was.

"Somethin' da matta?" the stranger drawled, quirking a brow at our shocked expressions. "A _homme _bleaches 'is 'air an' he gets stared at like some sort of _fou?_"

"Oh, um… It's just… You two… You and Ryo look a lot alike!" Dani finally stammered out.

"Not too sure if dat be a compliment or not, _mais,_ I would like to find _un bureau_."

Finally I shook myself clear of the daze and left the stranger to the tender mercies of Dani by himself. There was only one empty lab table. It was the one we had shared. Swallowing, I forced myself to take a seat and pulled out my things for class. Hesitating for a moment, I brought out my sketchpad too. My fingers itched as the idea of shadow and light filtered through my subconscious. My brain, however, refused to focus and produce anything from it—

"Dere be anyone dat sits 'ere?" that French accent spoke again. Shuddering at the rich overtones, I hesitantly raised my head to meet the new guy…again. The contrast of darkly tanned skin with his white hair (that I wasn't _entirely_ sure _was_ bleached, it was too perfectly white) was startling…

…and those dark eyes were analyizing every time I so much as _breathed._

_Hmmm…._ My inner wolf had raised its head and I could practically feel it wag its tail. Sweat formed on the back of my neck in response. All the suspicions I had been having about myself and my behavior towards girls like Dani, from even before the accident, seemed to lock into place in the pattern I had been half-eagerly expecting, half-dreading, for months now. I wanted to groan as I finally realized why I had always felt so…cold…towards others. Now was not the best timing for this enlightenment!

"'Ello? Anyone dere?"

"What? Oh, right, sorry. No, no one's sitting here," I managed to stammer, only to gaze down at my blank page as I added under my breath, "Not anymore, anyway."

The stranger took the empty stool; I heard the metal legs scrape along the cement floor. I could still feel those eyes watching me, making my throat feel like it was coated in thick gel on the inside. Finally, he said softly, "De name's Bakura. Bakura Lebeau."

I visibly started, turning to stare at him and finding those eyes discerningly close to my face. He had leaned forward to say his name, and now I was hyper aware the space between us. "R-Ryo," I stammered. "Ryo Bakura."

"Oh ho? Dat be a new one. Never met no _homme_ with the _nom de ma famille_ fo' his name," he drawled, leaning back a little and relaxing his body stance by leaning on the table. I watched his movements with complete envy. He moved with the grace of a jungle cat, all subtle muscle, while I was usually the bumbling klutz. "Now," Bakura said, butting into my thought process, "Dat _fille_… She was talkin' about someone, _oui_? Someone close t' yah? I'm gonna guess it was da _personne_ dat used ta sit 'ere. _Non_?"

Swallowing was difficult, but I managed that much and I nodded my head like a stupefied dummy.

He nodded back and said, "_D'accord._ Trust yah don' wanna talk much 'bout it. So how 'bout I scare dem _filles folles_ away from yah when de come over to bug yah. Sound like a plan, _cher ami_?"

Again with the stupid nod. It'd be a wonder if he didn't end up thinking I was mute. Instead, he smiled at me in a way that made me relax a little. Before that could give me the courage to say anything, the professor walked in and class officially began.

My hand absently rested on my sketchpad whenever I wasn't taking notes. Images of white and medium brown, dark brown that it was nearly black and black itself, all swum around the edges of my concentration. When I was slowly putting things away to stretch out the time I was with Bakura, I noticed I had sketched almost nine pages worth of thumbnails, for glass and metal work. I knew half of those at least would be trash but still… After so long of nothing…

"Dem sketches were good, _homme_," Bakura commented as he swung his own bag over his shoulders. I noted absently it was built to carry a camera, an expensive professional one, and he was just using an extra pocket for his supplies for class. "Be glad to see de finished product."

"Thanks," I managed to say with a calm smile. "I'll be sure to let you know when I have them displayed somewhere."

Before he could say anything else, I noted Dani's movement towards our table. Bakura looked over his shoulder, seeing her as well, before facing me again. He winked at me encouragingly, making me flush hotly at the flirtatious action, and then raised his voice to carry better. "_Bien_. Now, I don' know 'bout _toi_, _mais_, I need a smoke. Come wit' me?"

Smiling I nodded in agreement rather than trust my voice. He didn't do anything overt, no arm over my shoulder or anything, but when we walked past Dani I could see the knowing gleam in her eye through her shocked expression.

Once safely outside in the hall, Bakura clapped me on the shoulder. "See yah around, _homme_," he said casually, and my entire shoulder felt warm.

The first real warmth I felt in what felt like ages.

**Closer: Shorter chapter than normal, but this is where it ended naturally and I wasn't about to force it another 200 words just to make my goal of 2,000 per chapter. Chatty Kaiba and Atem make up for the silence.**

…

**Speaking of chatting, yes, I totally based Bakura's new accent and last name off of Remy Lebeau, a.k.a. Gambit from X-Men. Don't worry, he normally speaks all English and what not. I just argue that if you are any kind of mercenary-type, you need to be able to pick up and drop accents and slightly vary your personality. All for the sake of blending in, or in Bakura's case not being recognizable AT ALL. So he went from London accent to Cajun French, and adopted a slightly nicer personality to keep his secret. How was the accent, anyway? First time I tried to write Cajun…**

**Amane is indeed, canonically, Ryo's twin sister for those who were confused. In the manga, she died at age seven in a car accident. I just delayed it for the sake of timing in this fic.**

**Any bets on what Bakura is thinking of Ryo right now?**

**See the first and second chapters for the long-ass note about this story and its companions, Hunter's Moon and Eclipsed by the Moon (or my profile, it's there too), as well as my explanation on name choices. Translations:**

_**Excuse-moi, mes amis, mais—**_**Excuse me, my friends, but**

_**Homme—**_**man**

_**Fou—**_**crazy**

_**Mais—**_**but**

_**Un bureau—**_**a desk (in this case, a lab table shared by two people (yes, you still have those in college))**

_**Nom de ma famille—**_**name of my family…very literal (Bakura is banking on Ryo not catching this (obviously he was that damn lucky))**

_**Fille—**_**girl**

_**Oui—**_**yes**

_**Personne—**_**person**

_**Non—**_**non**

_**D'accord—**_**okay**

_**Filles folles—**_**crazy girls**

_**Cher ami—**_**dear friend**

_**Bien—**_**good**

_**Toi—**_**you**

**All of that is obviously in French.**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura (Bakura "Lebeau")**

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto (Yukimura Muyo "Mizuno Maeko"/ Rebecca Hopkins "Rebecca Porter")**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto (Yukimura Atem "Yami Minamoto")**

**Southeastern [Sydney, Australia]=Peridot—Unknown. Distant Relative from a Branch of the Family: Serenity Wheeler (Duke Devlin "Duke Jones")**

**GO CHECK ME OUT ON DEVIANT ART! There's going to be pics (line art by other people, I just color the damn things) for wolves that we see. A few new pics have been added to the reference folder, but no a bushel load, since last chapter.**

**LNF's Wolves: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**Reference Folder for Humans: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Same as before, remove the spaces after every / and every period.**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	8. Chapter 8: Serenity

**AN: …freakin' Serenity… Her and Duke. I HATE writing them. I HATE IT! (stews) She about drove me nuts. I couldn't get inside her head, because she's a Stepford Smiler (check out TV Tropes .org if you don't know what that is). So once I got my head wrapped around it, I managed to produce…this.**

**Oh, and check this out:  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon  
http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Spaces need deleted after every / and period.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Eight: Serenity**

_**Sydney, Australia**_

We always gathered under the apple tree for lunch. During the spring, it always smelled like apple blossoms. Right now, the scent of the fruit itself was fading as we passed closer and closer to winter. Leaning my head against the cool, rough bark, I smiled to myself. Even when my vision became so blurry seeing was almost impossible, at least some things remain the same.

Like my friends' gossiping.

"Really, he's just too cute!"

"I know, isn't he just ace?"

Ava and Marie burst into giggles, the fraternal twins easily infatuated with the new boy. As much as I loved them, I knew that they would have hearts in their eyes to the new boy for a good couple of weeks until his shiny newness wore off.

"He's such a wanker, though," Ella inserted with a sniff, obviously still annoyed over the fact that he had turned up his noise at the idea of dating her. My smile grew a little wider. She was the blonde bombshell of our class, I couldn't believe it either when he turned her down. It was a nice change in pace, in my opinion.

The twins shared conspiratorial looks, but it was Ava who spoke up. "You are just jealous that he has been paying attention to Serenity more than you," the redhead teased, drawling my name and making me pay attention.

"What?" I yelped, my eyes snapping open quite wide as I stared at her blurred face.

"Oh, surely you've noticed," Marie instantly dismissed, "Once he was done checking out Hailey, he was watching you like you were the most beautiful shelia in the class. I think he prefers brunettes to blondes." She deliberately ribbed Ella, making her reach across to whap her shoulder in retaliation, also setting off the giggles again.

I was almost too stunned to smile back at them, though they were used to me not being quite as quick to laugh. Paige was just the same, often paying attention to her sketchbook than to anything else, like right now. I like to think the two of us balanced out the other three.

Clearing my throat as I fought down the urge to blush, I protested, "I would have noticed if he was paying _that_ much attention to me."

Marie recovered enough to shake her head, making her new bob swing like flapper fringe. "You wouldn't notice unless he came right up and was overt, and that would turn you off so pbth." She stuck her tongue out to accent her point, making even me laugh a little at her purposeful childishness.

"Now, now, ladies, ladies!" Ella interrupted, as she tried to control her own laughter. "We aren't being very nice," she scolded the twins, finally forcing her face into being serious. "Serenity has a betrothal arranged, remember?" she said with a firm nod. "A nice pack member, with respectable breeding, who is going to take care of her for the rest of her life like she deserves."

The other girls finally nodded. I hid my own reaction with a gentle, almost indulgent smile at them, like it really didn't bother me that they all believed Grandfather's lie.

He had spread it around shortly after my thirteenth birthday, and three months after the faithfully doctor's appointment…

_I giggled as I flipped through the book, the first in a series called The Dork Diaries. It was newer than the second-hand Dr. Suess books, and the letters were still big enough I didn't have problems reading them. The illustrations were what made me laugh as I waited patiently for Mama to get off the phone with Grandfather._

_I could hear him roaring at her, even over the cellphone._

_I didn't understand what was wrong at first. My vision was a little fuzzy, that's all. Paige's eyes were the same way, she just got this neat pair of glasses that corrected her vision. I thought that was the exact same thing that was happening to me, even though I was getting fevers when she didn't…_

_It was when we got home, Mama sat down on the edge of my bed, the orange of her suit clashing with my pink bedspread. She smiled, but it was the fake one, the one she used when she was talking with other pack members about stuff she didn't want to talk about. A smile I later learned to copy._

_I was sick, but not in a way the doctors could fix. I would be for a long time. And my eyes were going to get worse, to the point that a pair of neat glasses wasn't going to do me any good._

_It wasn't until I got older, and I couldn't tell my mother's face apart from her assistant that I realized what all this meant. It wasn't until then that I learned I couldn't cry about it, and I had to fake happiness. And it was then that I realized why Grandfather lied about me being betrothed oh-so-romantically to a wolf of another pack like my mother._

_To keep away the embarrassment of having a blind descendent._

Pulling myself from my memories, I continue to smile as the chatter around me changed to complaints about the twins' Literature teacher, a common theme, until the lunch bell rang.

* * *

Counting the seats in my fuzzy vision with very little thought, I found my own with the ease of long practice. No one guessed how little I saw, and that was exactly how Grandfather wanted it. Humming to myself, I reached into my bag for my Chemistry book. I didn't particularly like the subject, but Grandfather insisted I be well rounded, which in his opinion meant taking as many sciences and math classes as I did literature and writing.

Of course, the stupid thing hated me.

It slipped through my fingers and clattered to the floor… Sending all the folded loose notebook pages inside to scatter… I blew out a breath of frustration, but otherwise just started to gather them up again. I really should just toss the old assignments away, but sometimes looking at old problems helped me understand the process better when I was studying…

A blur that was of a darker skin tone then mine reached over and began gathering papers as well.

"So, are you always this klutzy?"

I swallowed. I recognized that voice… It was the new boy. Feeling my cheeks grow a little warm, I said with an embarrassed smile, "No, not really."

He chuckled and handed me the stack he had managed to gather. "Why do you hang on to all those anyway?" he asked, and I could hear the curiosity in his tone. Explaining my reasons, I was surprised when he started laughing even louder. "You are trying so hard to live up the nickname I have for you in my head," he admitted.

Tilting my head, I hid my own sort of curiosity, mine of the slightly hurt variety, behind a friendly grin as I asked, "What nickname is that?"

"Miss Perfect," he shot out like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Something in my expression must have broadcast my reaction, since he hurriedly explained, "You try so hard to do everything expected of you. Extracurriculars, grades, even your class choices. Always with a smile on your face." I think he may have shrugged. "It makes me wonder sometimes."

My mouth opened to ask what exactly it made him wonder, but before I could the teacher arrived with his usual nervous habit of clearing his throat. I hurriedly faced forward, not wanting to get in trouble. The flush was still in my cheeks, and the hurt feeling was still in my collarbone.

But I had control of my expression again. There was a slight smile at my lips, like always. And that's all anyone ever saw.

I tried to keep notes, though being unable to read what I wrote now made it tricky. The teacher was explaining something about thermo chemistry, which was hard enough to follow when you could see the notes he was making on the board. I would probably spend hours poring over the text to understand what everyone else was seeing play out in front of them.

"And now, for your mid-terms," he said with a sigh, during the last fifteen minutes of class. "I have decided to assign you the task of designing and implementing an experiment, based off of the chapters we have covered so far this term. You must provided a detailed report on what you did, the results, and what this proves or disproves. For ideas, you are welcome to consult the online materials or any of the books here in class. The first person to use that American show for reference will barely pass and everyone after fails, so I wouldn't suggest it. You will also be working with a random partner." Groans filled the class, and he ignored them as he opened his gradebook.

I just stayed calm. It didn't make that much of a difference who I had as a partner. I usually got a pack member, and arrangements were made between them. If I was lucky, it would be someone I had had before, so much less of a hassle.

Names were called, met by laughs, squeals, or glares across the room. He was going backwards, so mine would be up soon.

"Wheeler… Partnered with Jones."

Tilting my head in confusion, I tried to put a face with the last name as he continued to pair others. The bell rang only a few minutes later, the last bell till five, the signal for clubs to break up and go home. Gathering my things up, I resigned myself to a long afternoon at home, since my few clubs weren't meeting today.

"So, Miss Perfect, any ideas…?"

I closed my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts. Jones. Duke Jones. I was so dumb.

Collecting my thoughts, I turned in the direction of his voice and smiled. "No, not really. Do you?"

"Nah… Figured we could go somewhere, talk, research…"

"All that jazz?" I finished for him, proud that I made him chuckle in reply. There was silence, and I wondered if maybe he shrugged or nodded or something in response. I could never tell. Things easily started to get awkward, so I scrambled mentally for something to say. "Well, I don't have club meetings or anything this afternoon. My driver is probably waiting for me downstairs…" Standing up, I adjusted my bag over my shoulder. He was standing on the same side of the aisle, so I was stuck till he moved.

"Well, why don't you give me your address? I can come by later, get started?" he offered, "My place isn't too special…"

"Oh…" I twisted around the different schedules in my head for the household. Nothing was coming to mind. No meetings to avoid, no out-of-town visitors, no in-town visitors, full moon wasn't for a couple weeks… Biting my lower lip, I didn't really have a reason to say no… Crikey, even Grandfather was going to be out of town till the end of the week. "I suppose that would be alright…" I reached into my bag and tore a corner of paper free from one of the old assignments this same guy had helped me gather. Scribbling the mansion's address on it, I gave it to him.

I was shocked when he started laughing.

My expression must have betrayed me again, since he continued to snicker as he walked backwards, out of my way. "Miss Perfect has chicken scratch handwriting."

This time, I wasn't sure if the flush was from anger or embarrassment.

* * *

Straightening the hood attached to my white t-shirt, I fingered the screen-printed design in the same shade of pastel pink on the front. I had no idea what it was, but was assure the shirt looked cute on me, especially with the denim mini-skirt and pink knee-length leggings that were slightly darker than the pink in my shirt. Twisting around in front of the full-length mirror, I wiggled my lower lip between my teeth. Blurry vision was such a pain at the weirdest moments.

I shrugged and grabbed the dark purple lump on the desk that was my backpack. When I opened my door, I blinked. There stood a maid, posed to start knocking if I were to miss my guess.

In her hand was the bane of my existence.

"Sorry, Miss Wheeler," she apologized, offering me the cane. "But the housekeeper is cleaning through rooms. Furniture is going to be in all sorts of disarrangement, and we wouldn't want you pumping into something…"

My only response was to I inwardly groan. In the case of all the common rooms, the furniture tended to be wood stained almost the exact same as tone as the floor and wainscoting, or metal and glass. Neither were useful when you had a partially blind teenage girl in house. That's why the furniture was supposed to be in the same place always, so I could just memorize the house format. Days like today where the housekeeper got frustrated and reorganized the entire house made me end up covered in bruises… and usually the housekeeper would be gone.

Sighing, I forced a smile on my face and accepted the cane. "It isn't your fault," I assured her. As I snapped it open, she stood out of the doorway so I could walk out. Tapping in case of display tables that wouldn't stand out without their priceless vase… Or if they were set under a painting…

At the base of the stairs, I turned around to ask, "What room is currently still put together or has been organized already for me to use this afternoon?"

She didn't have time to answer me. The doorbell rang, and I instantly guessed that it was Duke. Handing my bag to her, I said, "Here, please take this to the room you consider best and then come back to lead us to the room."

There was a hurried, "Yes, miss," but my attention had turned to the door already. Looping the strap of my cane over my arm, it took both hands to turn the big deadlock, and in the case of my petite stature, to open the heavy oak door.

I had no way of being certain that this blur in front of me was Duke. The hair color and skin tone were right, but absent a school uniform in place of an all-black outfit, except a red vest, I had no idea if this was the right guy till he spoke. So, I said uniformly, "Hey!"

"Hey," Duke drawled, and my smile turned to a beam. I liked it when no one noticed.

…the cane strap seemed heavier at the reminder.

"Come on in," I invited him, stepping back. He agreeably walked in, and I closed the front door with care. I could sense him behind me.

My otherwise quiet inner wolf seemed to straighten up. My nose began identifying his scent, and I could hear him shift around him. _Danger_… she hissed at me. I sent her a silent inquiry, but she didn't have anything definite to tell me.

Shrugging, I just held the cane loosely as I walked back towards the hallway. "The housekeeper is on a furniture rearranging spree, so a maid is going to show us to a room that's safe to us," I told him over my shoulder. Sure enough, the same maid as before was waiting for me. With a polite nod, she led the way down the hall.

My cane was a steady tap as I made my way down the dimly lit, fuzzy hall.

"So, how long have you been blind?"

I started at the sudden question, but forced the smile to return to my mouth. "Oh, I'm not all the way there yet," I said lightly, "I normally don't even need this, but with the furniture moving, I would rather not run into something."

He was silent, and I wasn't sure if it was shock or just him being quiet. The room the maid had selected was one of the out of the way rooms Mother had charge of, usually for meetings with the pack of single mothers she ran with. I recognized it by the portrait still hung on the mantel, of my family before the divorce. I paused and looked up, wishing I could see it clearly still. It was the only picture of my older brother in the entire house.

"Your family?" he asked, and I jumped again when I saw how close he was to me.

"Yeah," I said, my voice soft. "My parents divorced when I was young… My father kept my brother, and I came here with my mother. I haven't seen either of them since, not even when my father died a few years ago."

"Tough breaks…" Duke said sympathetically.

I brooded for a few more moments, before my manners asserted themselves again. "No worries," I assured him with a grin, and we took a seat on the big, comfy sofa.

That afternoon, my mind wasn't really on the project like it should have been. I kept thinking of Jou, and how he had his own path. He refused to do what Grandfather wanted, what Grandfather thought was best to protect him. The cane at my side reminded me of the secrets I kept because he said I should… And I suddenly wondered if I had the courage to stand up to him like my big brother.

**Closer:**

"**That American show" is Mythbusters. When I was in AP Chem sophomore year, we had fun with them. Went through a lot of Mentos and Diet Coke… Oh, and pennies. I still have those gold pennies floating around here somewhere…**

**See the first and second chapters for the long-ass note about this story and its companions, Hunter's Moon and Eclipsed by the Moon (or my profile, it's there too), as well as my explanation on name choices. Translations:**

**Ace—cool, attractive**

**Wanker—egotistical, one who is full of himself.**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura (Bakura "Lebeau")**

**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto (Yukimura Muyo "Mizuno Maeko"/ Rebecca Hopkins "Rebecca Porter")**

**Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto (Yukimura Atem "Yami Minamoto")**

**Southeastern [Sydney, Australia]=Peridot—Unknown. Distant Relative from a Branch of the Family: Serenity Wheeler (Duke Devlin "Duke Jones")**

**GO CHECK ME OUT ON DEVIANT ART! There's going to be pics (line art by other people, I just color the damn things) for wolves that we see. Nothing new since last chapter, but if you didn't then, you should now!**

**LNF's Wolves: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ gallery/ #Wolf-s-Moon**

**Reference Folder for Humans: http:/ / eva-emaria. deviantart. com/ favourites/ #Wolf-s-Moon-References**

**Same as before, remove the spaces after ever / and every period.**

**Okay, that's all for now! TTFN!**


	9. Chapter 9: Muyo

**AN: …I'm trusting you all not to need the previous amount of pure repetition I've been including in chapters. If you need the file addresses, I trust you to hit the back key.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Nine: Muyo**

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

Stumbling down the hall, I covered my mouth to muffle the jaw-popping yawn that had escaped. Maybe it was because I was a werewolf, but I was just not a morning person… And Saya knows, I can't stand the smell of coffee or even strong hot tea… Muttering, I straighten both the tank and the shorts I slept in. I couldn't get away from wool even in my sleep, but at least this way it was lightweight and it didn't cover as much as my normal clothes.

_Don't forget the ponytail before you walk in there…_ my inner wolf warned. God, even it sounded tired still.

_Yeah, yeah…_ I grumbled at it, but grabbed a runaway scrunchie off of the counter and pulled my hair up agreeably in a messy knot on top of my head before I entered the kitchen.

The kitchen had always been my sanctuary. Even as a child, the cook in the main estate had been a bit of a substitute mother after my own died. She had taught me like I was a child of hers, and snuck me treats, even when Nofret-sama forbid it. So I respected the space, keeping everything clean and painstakingly organized. Even in the mornings, when all I wanted was to just throw things around sloppily.

Sighing, I started by getting lunches going, since there just hadn't been time last night for more than prep work. Humming as I slowly woke up, I went through the motions of making a bento for a little girl. It was Rebecca's first few days of school. I may have thought of her as a brat, but I knew she was getting teased for having to buy her own lunch. Maybe today would make up for my slack the last couple of days. I had found a cute box and the necessary accessories yesterday, and I dug those out first.

Chilled noodles and two onigiri, shaped like hearts, went into the bottom yellow box. I had chopped carrots the night before into cross pieces, and there was a star-shaped cookie-cutter in one of the drawers. I found it easily enough and chopped the carrots carefully into the shape, eating the scraps with a chuckle. That would ease my stomach's pitiful growls. Those, and orange segments I cut and arranged carefully in a flower went in half the pink box.

A glance at the clock told me I had just long enough to get the bento finished and breakfast done before Rebecca woke up. Grabbing the omelet pan, I set to work with practiced ease.

Despite my mostly Japanese upbringing, I had never developed a taste for traditional Japanese breakfast, or other meals…mostly because of the rice, I guess. It didn't stay with me for long because of my fast metabolism. So, I wasn't about to go traditional on Rebecca, though I bet she had other thoughts on that. She had gotten away with cold cereal till now, but now she was about to get real food. My humming grew louder as I smiled at the thought, and the sheer pleasure I was getting from just being able to cook again.

By the time I heard the alarm go off down the hall, I had thrown three of the omlet slices into the fridge to chill, and the other four were on the table, along with a bowl of sausage, onion, and potato hash and a plate of pan-fried toast. Smiling, a little smugly, I made sure everything was set, with Western utinsils (this was the only meal I allowed them), I walked down the hall. Knocking on Rebecca's door, I was greeted with a muffled groan. "None of that, I've been up for an hour already," I teased, feeling much better now that I had been up and been in front of a stove. "Come on, breakfast is on the table, you can get dressed after."

"Alright, alright…"

Oh, she was lucky I was a wolf and heard that mutter.

_Can we shake her?_

_No, she's too delicate for that, remember? Human._

_Drat._

Chuckling at my still-cranky inner wolf, I returned to the kitchen. Checking on the omelets in the fridge, I judged them cooled enough. Rebecca's bento was in the fridge, lids in place and stacked, so all I had to do was open the pink box's lid to slip one of the omelets in place. Popping it back in place, I turned around at the sound of footsteps.

"It's so early…" she whined, rubbing her eyes. I bit my lip to keep from snickering at her pink and white bunny pajama pants and a matching t-shirt. A brown bear was cuddled under her arm.

I turned around and poured the milk in her cup as I answered, "Well, you also have school in two hours. If you want a chance to eat and look put together, than you have to wake up at this time."

She muttered, but went to her place. I grinned and helped her spoon hash and egg on to her plate before doing the same to my own plate. I had milk for myself already poured, and I took a sip of it as I took my seat.

"Muyo, there's no way we're going to be able to eat all this…" she informed me crankily as she dug in.

"Maeko-san, or Maeko-onee-chan," I corrected her with a frown. She frowned at me as well, but then her face relaxed as she realized I was just reminding her of the role she had to play.

"Maeko-onee-chan," she corrected.

I nodded in reply, taking another bite of food before I answered. "On one hand, you have no idea how much food I go through," I reminded her, and she giggled. She had caught me snacking the last few days, yet I hadn't gained any visible weight. "And even if I don't manage to snack away at the leftovers, we'll just have to have a couple nights of the week set aside so we'll eat all the leftovers then and not have to cook." I popped the last bite of egg on my plate in my mouth.

She laughed at my antics, and I felt a bit of relief. Really, things had been so rocky between the two of us… Having a little peace the first morning of my new job was a relief.

I finished as she continued to pick at her plate. I moved my dishes to the fridge and started putting together my own bento as I listened for her. I was surprised when she gathered her dishes herself and put them in the sink. Glancing at the table, I saw we did have hash left over, enough for me to eat for a midnight-snack when a dream or nightmare woke me up. "Go get dressed," I prompted, and off she went.

Tucking my own lunch into the fridge till it was time to leave, I followed her a few minutes later, heading for the master bedroom. My clothes were laid out from last night, and with a deep sigh, I took the time to get ready myself. I was just finishing pinning my hair in a bun when I heard Rebecca knock on the doorframe.

I looked at the clock and saw things were running smoothly, but I still needed to find my heels. "Rebecca, would you go find the furoshiki? They should be the drawer on the right side of the sink."

"The what?" she blinked at me owlishly behind her glasses.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Furoshiki, they're cloth bags for our bento."

"Bento?"

"Lunch boxes. Now would you please go get them out? I'll have the boxes ready in a few minutes."

"Sure."

I heard her walk away, and I continued to search through my closet. I needed to be more careful with the stupid things…

_Did you leave them by the door?_

I took a moment to close my eyes in exasperation. _Thank you for telling me this _now.

_You're so welcome._

I bit back a snarl and scurried my way out to the main part of the apartment. Rebecca was perched at the counter, her brown satchel in front of her. "Do you have your homework?" I checked as I walked into the kitchen, leaving my shoes on the floor at the entrance. The furoshiki were already by the fridge, along with the bentos' bands.

"Yep," she said, casually, watching me move curiously. I grinned at her as I pulled out her bento, as well as the matching chopsticks. "Oh wow, that is so cute!" she instantly squealed.

"Good, now maybe the teasing will stop." Of that, I was somewhat confident. Buying lunch had been taboo in my elementary school too. Of course, my bento wasn't as cutsey as the stuff I had found for Rebecca, but I also wasn't making up for missing a couple of days. I slipped the chopsticks into the gap between the top box and the lid, still in their separate plastic case, and put it in the pink furoshiki along with a bottle of apple juice.

"You knew about that?" she said softly, obviously in disbelief.

I was repeating the motions of getting my own bento gathered, though mine got a bottle of water rather than juice. "You aren't the first kid to be teased over a lunch box, no matter the country," I reminded her. Grabbing the straps of the cloth bags, I handed one to her. "And with that, kid, let's get out of here."

She grinned and took the pink one from me.

* * *

"I swear, it's like I'm the boogey monster," I grumbled, refraining from spearing a leftover meatball I had put in my bento. Instead, I was more polite and pinched it to pop it into my mouth.

Akira, damn her, was laughing. "Oh come on, that was funny!" she protested when I glowered at her, "You're a… Well, you know."

"So are you," I dully retorted back, but she just grinned at me. My eyes couldn't help but take a glance towards the sapphire peeking out from under her auburn bangs. If I didn't know better, I would think it was a little greenier in tone than some of the others I had seen since working here, but perhaps that was just her eye color, a mix of green and blue, playing with it.

_We're in deep Pack waters…_

_I know._

_We could get torn limb from limb._

_I know._

_Why are we doing this again?_

_Because Onii-sama asked us to._

_Right… Why do we have to have a big brother complex?_

I choked on the bottle of water I had just taken a swig of.

"You okay?" Akira instantly asked, leaning forward across her desk. I waved my hand to signal I was fine as I coughed to clear my water pipe.

The office was set up so her and I had desks right across from each other, mine behind a series a glass panels to make it clear I wasn't the secretary. I was eating at her desk, what was becoming our daily ritual, since we shared a lunch break just after Kaiba-sensei's. It was better than that damn staffroom…

"I'm fine," I finally croaked out, "The voices in my head shocked me."

She snickered, but thankfully she understood what I was trying to say. I started berating my inner wolf as I packed up my bento. I did not need it making snarky commentary at work. It was distracting enough trying to keep myself in the proper mindset. It was too easy to slip, to imagine that this was my real life. It would only hurt later when I had to return to the mansion.

_If you return…_

_Would you _shut up_ already?_

Akira was still laughing at me under her breath when I hid my bento under my desk and retrieved the files waiting for me. "Good luck," she called out as I walked past her. I waved in dismissal and made my way down the short hallway that led to Kaiba-sensei's office.

Not even bothering to knock, I just went right on in, already opening the file and thumbing through the papers inside over the visiting CEO who was due to arrive in the next ten minutes.

"There's a door there for a reason," my boss's voice growled out

"Yes, to display that pretty, gold name plate..." I snipped back without even thinking about it. He growled back at me, but there wasn't much threat there. Thank Saya I was too effect at my job. "Monsieur Gervais will arrive soon, the translator…" here I eyed the clock with distaste, "_should_ have been here by now, but if not will be here at the same time or just after Monsieur Gervais. He speaks a little English, but not enough to be of aid."

"Just a little?" I saw the quirked brow from over the papers. I tried to avoid looking at him for too long, or my inner wolf started drooling and I lost my ability to think clearly. Do _not_ ask me what she saw in him, I don't get it.

I shrugged. "Monsieur Gervais is not as young as he likes to think," I replied, "His son usually takes care of foreign affairs, but with such a large account, he preferred to meet with you personally. He has not needed to speak English for some time…"

Kaiba-sensei didn't have a verbal response, but I wasn't expecting one. I left the file with him and bowed on my way out. A copy of it was already waiting for me on my desk, which I had just picked up when the elevator doors pinged. My head jerked up, and I hurried to stand just outside my door to greet the group of seven men and two women who excited it.

In front was the elderly gentleman I assumed to be Monsieur Gervais. Giving him the Japanese bow worth of his status from mine, I straightened and offered my hand to shake. "_Bonjour, Monsieur Gervais, comment-allez vous_?"

I wasn't surprised when he used my hand to pull me forward and kiss me once on each cheek. "_Ah, bonjour, Mademoiselle…_?"

"Mizuno," I provided him, pulling back with a friendly but serious enough smile.

"_Mademoiselle_ Mizuno," he drawled my last name, not struggling as much with my fake surname as I expected. "_Je suis bien, merci. Et vous_?"

"_Bien aussi_," I assured him "_Par ici_," I directed as I gestured towards Kaiba-sensei's office. He walked beside me, the rest of the group following. This time, I knocked and waited for permission before I let them inside. "Kaiba-sensei, Monsieur Gervais," I introduced with a formal bow. The two most influencial men in the room shook hands, and when Kaiba-sensei walked past me, I whispered, "I'll go wait for the translator." I got a nod of confirmation, and I was out of there. I understood French mannerisms, but my Japanese upbringing still had me shuddering.

Akira, of course, giggled when I made a face at her. A quick look at her clock had me frowning at how late the translator was, but all I could do was sit and wait for the buzz from security confirming they had arrived. I had other files to see to in the mean time, so I focused on those to keep my mind busy.

I didn't notice the time till I heard loud, raised voices from down the hall. In a panic, I looked to the clock and saw a full half-hour had passed. Eyes wide, I stood and just got to my doorway when Monsieur Gervais came storming out, obviously in a fit of temper by the rant in French I couldn't even follow falling off his tongue. Kaiba-sensei stopped at the door to his office, obviously angry as well but not able to do much.

Looking at the angry Frenchman, I bit my lower lip before saying soothingly, "Monsieur…" only for him to ignore me. I tried again, twice, before my temper finally snapped. My voice raised in pitch and volume as I ordered, "_Monsieur_ Gervais, _ça suffit! Soyez tranquille_!" Finally, he snapped his head to look at me, eyes wide in shock. Realizing my error, I added hurriedly, much quieter and in a more polite tone, "_S'il vous plait_."

"_Eh bien, Mademoiselle_…" he said grimly. "_Parlez_."

"_Le traducteur ne s'est pas présenté. Cependant, je vais traduire pour vous et Monsieur Kaiba_," I hurried offered myself to take the place of the translator who I would be having very harsh words with after this meeting.

"_Vous_?" he queried, and I nodded. He gestured roughly to the office, and I hurried inside. I didn't dare look at the man I desperately needed to stay employed by.

It took three hours to get through the meeting. Between me translating constantly between French to Japanese and back again, and Monsieur Gervais taking forever to calm down from his tantrum, it was exhausting and I was gratefully that security knew that without a call from me, Mokuba was taken home to the Kaiba mansion rather than brought up to the office to visit his brother.

After both Kaiba-sensei and I escorted the French envoys out, I was surprised when a hand at my elbow stopped me at the open doorway to my desk. "You… didn't embarrass us completely in there," he said.

_Was that a compliment...?_

_I… I… think so…_

_It was a compliment! A real compliment! Well, for this guy…_

_Don't go off to Cloud Nine yet…_

"Thank you, sir," I managed to spit out finally.

He nodded and started to walk off to his own office. However, he paused over his shoulder and said in a deadly cold tone, "I want the number of that translator and the company who employs him and who referred him."

I smiled, according to Akira later I looked a little evil doing it, and gladly gathered those up in a neat little e-mail to send him. Only then did I notice the blinking light on my cellphone indicating I had a missed call. Blinking myself, I touched the screen, and the green vine pattern and clock appeared, along with a missed call and a new voicemail message alerts.

Pressing the appropriate options to clear the call log without even looking to see who it was who called, I absently put the voicemail on speakerphone.

"Maeko-onee-chan, this is Rebecca!"

I almost fell out of my chair from the chipper tone I only belated recognized as my fellow Hunter.

"My new friend invited me over to his house this afternoon! He said his family was tied up with work all afternoon, and neither of us had after school stuff today, so we thought we'd just spend it together. Don't worry, they have another grown-up there. Call me back so you can see—or I guess hear, huh?—for yourself, and I'll give you the address so you can pick me up when you get off work!"

Rubbing my forehead, I deleted the voicemail message and glared at my calendar. Of course, today was one of the days Rebecca had the afternoon off… I know she was supposed to be a trained hunter, but I still needed to find either a program for her to go to when she didn't have clubs, or get permission to have her here… I made a note on a sticky note that I stuck to the edges of my computer monitor so I would ask Kaiba-sensei about that tomorrow. Perhaps she could even try hacking into the mainframe while she was here… Rolling my eyes at the idea, which she probably would still do just to prove she could, I called her back to confirm she was supervised and where to pick her up once I finally was caught up enough to leave this place…

* * *

Dismounting my bike, I whistled in appreciation as I unstrapped the rather dorky helmet I was required to use instead of the one I left in my baby's saddlebags back home.

My attention was not on the rather stuffy looking house.

I am admittedly a little spoiled. The Yukimura estates are absolutely _amazing_, and I had been running around them since before I could remember… Well, there was one vague memory that must be from a trip to Hokkaido that I couldn't recall properly. Anyway, normally, I was one proud little loner about the grounds I got to run around every full moon and whenever the mood struck me if I wanted to deal with the pain.

This place blew the estates out of the water. I itched to shift and go exploring.

Ignoring that impulse, despite my inner wolf's whining, I hooked my helmet over the handlebar and unzipped the leather jacket I wore to protect from wind burn. I was still in my work blouse, but the blazer, skirt, heels, and my briefcase were in one saddle bag, the other holding my furoshiki and Rebecca's spare helmet. I changed in the bathroom Akira and I shared each morning and evening into what my new co-worker/friend called my riding leathers. Honestly, a girl puts on leather pants, motorcycle boots, and a leather jacket, and suddenly she's a sex symbol…

Pulling my mind away from its tangent, I walked up the stairs as I pocketed my keys and took off my gloves, eyeing the place warily. It reeked of a few scents that were familiar, though I couldn't place why. Shrugging it off reluctantly, I rang the doorbell and waited, impatiently slapping my gloves against the palm of my hand.

The door swung open, and I finally recognized one of the scents. That's all there was time for before a blur of black hair and olive skin burst out from behind the heavy oak. It took me a few seconds to recognize what I was hearing as him chanting, "Onee-sama!" as he hugged me fiercely.

I couldn't help but laugh at the pup's enthusiasm and returned his hug reluctantly, "Hello to you too, Mokuba-kun," I greeted at a low grumble, close to how a wolf would have responded to his greeting: amused, but welcoming.

"I didn't know you knew Rebecca-chan," he said excitedly, finally pulling back. Ruffling his hair, I started to walk inside. He easily enough took the hint and ran ahead of me to lead me to wherever Rebecca was. I had to pause and kick off my boots, taking a pair of pale blue guest-slippers to wear inside, but he waited, somewhat impatiently, for me.

"Half-siblings," I answered with a shrug. I paused at a grand staircase, finally realizing what the other scent was—how did I miss it, I was right in front of him all day, every work day?—and grinning wickedly. "Go on ahead and tell the munchkin I'll be right there," I told him. He looked at me curiously and noticed my grin and where my attention was. "I'm going to go bug your big brother…and my boss." He grinned as well and mock-saluted me. Laughing, I gestured him to go on and began to stealthily climb the stairs.

Really, it was too easy. I blamed years of Hunter training, and Kaiba being stupid enough to have so much carpeting. I preferred wood floors for anywhere I had to live for that very reason. There was always a squeaky floor board.

I was still cautious, at least till I got to what I took to be the study/office. Figures he was in there. Without knocking, I swung the door open and leaned against the door frame.

Okay, I will finally agree with my inner wolf. When I'm not so focused on maintaining cover, trying to worm my way close, and scared shitless by this guy… He was very, very attractive. Especially when he was obviously relaxed, reading from some book that I would bet money on being a classic.

"Rebecca-chan, I told you, this is…" he immediately started to rant. I guess he heard me, but didn't smell me. His head raised, his eyes flashing with good natured annoyance that held a certain warmth for a human part, and part of me melted. The rest of me felt rather smug when his jaw became slightly unhinged.

The smug part won. I smirked and waved loosely. "Hello, Kaiba-san," I greeted. I changed suffixes by virtue of the fact this wasn't the office. It seemed to wake him up because his eyes narrowed. "I came to take a blonde midget off your hands."

"_You_ are Rebecca's older sister?" he said dubiously. I snickered and started walking back downstairs. I caught Mokuba's freshest scent and followed it to a small room that I guessed to be a lounge. Rebecca was sitting on top of a couch, her briefcase beside her and furoshiki in her lap. Smart girl even had her jacket, a glaringly bright pink nylon number, on. She beamed when she caught sight of me, till she noticed the pants. "Oh man… I hate your bike…" she whined.

"You hate city traffic and the smell of the inside of cab more," I reminded her, "Remember the days before the bike arrived?" She winced, and I knew I made my point.

"You ride a bike?"

I rolled my eyes at that town and whirled around, my hands on my hips and gloves fisted in one of them. "_Hai_, I ride a bike. A 2008 Suzuki SV650SF ABS." I smirked at his blank face. I knew that was to hide confusion, I just _knew_ it. "Come on, kiddo, I've still gotta start supper. Oden sound good?"

"Oden?"

"One pot dish, stewy."

She grinned, and I knew I had a hit. Holding my arm out, I was surprised when she agreeably enough tucked herself against my side to walk out. "Thank you, Kaiba-kun, Kaiba-san, for having me over," she said with a slight bow.

"Thanks, Mokuba-kun," I concurred, "Nice to see you again."

When we turned around, Kaiba was blocking the door. "Yes, _sensei_?" I said, only partially sarcastic.

He scowled at me, then pointed at Rebecca, "She's human."

"So?" I fired back, eyes narrowed.

"You are not."

"Yes I am."

"That piece of obsidian in your forehead says otherwise, loner," he hissed my status, and I reined in my anger before I blew up at him.

"We're half-siblings," I spat at him, "I'm half-human, you butt. Now are you going to let me through?"

He was obviously stunned at my sudden attitude, and he agreeably enough stepped out of my way. I'm sure it was a one-time thing.

Outside, I tossed Rebecca her pink helmet. "You annoyed him," she said reproachfully.

I snorted and put her furoshiki where her helmet had been. She had shrugged her satchel on her back and I climbed on to my bike, pulling on my gloves and my own helmet as I spoke. "He wants someone to stand up to him. It bugs him. He'll want to get closer to me, just to put me back in my place."

She still looked doubtful, but accepted my hand up behind me.

**Closer:**

**So, to start with, here are links for the bento boxes and motorcycle gear:**

**Rebecca's Box: http:/ / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ tk72M  
Rebecca's Chopsticks: http:/ / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ E6g8M  
Rebecca's Band: http:/ / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ 6ISl7  
Rebecca's Furoshiki: http:/ / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ sZMuG  
Rebecca's Helmet:** **http:/ / www. helmetshop. com/ product/ ST-19360/ X-280-JR-PINK/**

**Muyo's Box: http:/ / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ ZB6Wd  
Muyo's Chopsticks: http:/ / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ ZQm3K  
Muyo's Furoshiki: http: / / www. jlist. com/ IMAGE/ NFXcp  
Muyo's Motorcycle:** **http:/ / www. bikez. com/ pictures/ suzuki/ 2008/ 26191_0_1_2_sv650sf% 20abs_Image% 20credits% 20-% 20Suzuki. jpg  
Muyo's Helmet:** **http:/ / www. helmetshop. com/ product/ ST-3996/ XD3-BLACK-FROST/  
Muyo's Motorcycle Boots:** **http:/ / www. helmetshop. com/ cgi/ commerce. cgi? preadd= action& key=ST-812**

**And with that, I'm done. I have nothing else to say. TTFN!**

**Translations:**

**Japanese:  
****Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City (I know, canon says it's most likely a Tokyo suburb, but I needed it more south!)  
-sama—honorific, given to one of high status  
Bento—Japanese lunch boxes  
Onigiri—Japanese rice balls, with a wrapping of dried seaweed, occasionally with filling  
-san—honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…  
-onee-san—honorific attached to an older sister  
Furoshiki—cloth bags used to hold bento  
Onii-sama—big brother  
-sensei—a title applied to those in of higher authority and/or expertise, such as teachers, doctors, etc…  
Hokkaido—the northern-most island of the Japan, it is known for its beautiful landscapes and being one of the few places in Japan where there is snow without being up in the mountains; it is often parodied as being cold and always snowing  
Onee-sama—big sister  
-kun—honorific applied to the names of boys, one of familiarity and usually for those of the same age or younger; is usually considered cutesy when applied to teens  
-chan-cutesy name for children and adolescent girls  
Hai—yes (in this case, a very sarcastic one)  
Oden—Like Muyo said, a Japanese one-pot stew, with ingredients that tend to vary**

**French:  
Monsieur—Mister  
****Bonjour, Monsieur Gervais, comment-allez vous?—Hello, Mister Gervais, how are you?  
Mademoiselle—Miss  
Je suis bien, merci. Et vous?—I am well, thank you. And you?  
Bien aussi.—Well also.  
Par ici.—This way.  
Ça suffit! Soyez tranquille!—Enough! Be quiet!  
S'il vous plait.—Please.  
Eh bien, Mademoiselle…a—Well then, Miss…  
Parlez.—Speak.  
Le traducteur ne s'est pas présenté. Cependant, je vais traduire pour vous et Monsieur Kaiba.—The translator did not show up. However, I will translate for you and Mr. Kaiba.  
Vous?—You?**

**List of Known Packs, with Locations, Gems and Head Alphas:**

_**Loners=Obsidian (Known: Yukimura Muyo)**_

**Northern Pack [London, England]=Diamond—Unknown. Son: Ryo Bakura (Bakura "Lebeau")**_  
_**Western Pack [Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)]=Sapphire—Kaiba Seto (Yukimura Muyo "Mizuno Maeko"/ Rebecca Hopkins "Rebecca Porter")  
Eastern Pack [Boston, Massachusetts]=Ruby—Yugi Muto (Yukimura Atem "Yami Minamoto")  
Southeastern [Sydney, Australia]=Peridot—Unknown. Distant Relative from a Branch of the Family: Serenity Wheeler (Duke Devlin "Duke Jones")**


	10. Chapter 10: Atem

**AN: Sorry this took so long. In my head, Atem was just gibbering rather than talking, and as I'm sure you all can guess that is all sorts of NOT HELPFUL.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Ten: Atem**

_**Boston, Massachusetts**_

"…I can't imagine why she was upset with us," Yugi finished the story from school as he cleaned glasses with a completely innocent smile on his face that completely contradicted the story he told of the horrid prank they had pulled on a girl who had slighted one of his year-mates.

I couldn't help it. My head tilted back as I roared with laughter. The idea of playing pranks on others for revenge on behalf of another hit close to home for me. And I didn't hesitate to inform him, "I did similar tricks at the private school my younger sister and I attended together."

"Oh?" I could see Yugi perk up, and I smiled absently. I had told him very vague things about Muyo, not giving him her name or anything specific, but telling stories of the two of us growing up. He was interested in her, but in the same way I had been when I first met her, at the tender ages of nine and seven. Muyo had been such a scared little thing… Even in her wolf form, it was like having a new puppy, just a very smart one. I had struggled to connect that it was my sister…

Snapping my back to the point, I grinned wickedly as I recalled a rather infamous instance. "There was this one girl, older than both of us, but not of what was considered a higher rank by the rather complex social circles that had developed there. We were an international school, so she thought being French-British made her superior to my sister, who like me looks more like our Japanese father than our mother." Okay, so technically _mothers_ plural was more accurate. The story didn't change much.

"Anyway," I continued, "She decided to start playing tricks on my sister at odd moments between classes, since she wasn't in the same grade. This went on for a couple months without me knowing about it, till a friend of mine that was in her grade clued me in…" I proceeded to tell about how Bakura and I got back at Mai by him stealing her diary and I proceeded to secretly blackmail her with it on behalf of Muyo.

He was snickering half way through and full-out laughing before I finished by telling how Mai's bullying came around to bite her on the butt anyway. "Oh, you two were horrible…" I grinned unrepentantly, and when he smiled back I knew he understood why we did it.

It was quiet for a little while, as he finished cleaning glasses, but a calm, peaceful quiet. It was one I hadn't experienced in ages. Over the past couple weeks, my head had stopped feeling stuffed with cotton all the time, and my body no longer struggled to get through the day. My days were spent doing basic paperwork or just relaxing as I finally relinquished some of the control of the clan now that I was certain they knew who was in charge. I felt like myself for the first time in years.

Some of that was definitely Yugi's influence.

He was younger than my own koinu-chan, but somehow brighter than she had been, even at his age. I guess it was because he was well-loved… Even I could see that. His mother was firm, but she rarely had to do anything… Yugi was a good kid. Wincing, I realized so was Muyo, yet they were so different… And it was partially my fault for not standing up to my own mother before she got fed up with Japan and returned to her own family.

I yanked my head back to the present, only to find Yugi looking at me in concern. "You really miss her, huh?" he said softly.

My smile was weak at best, and I knew it. Frantically, I twisted words in my head before finally saying a half-truth, "We are the only family each other has."

It should have set all my instincts going nuts, when he reached over and took my hand in his comfortingly. Instead, it felt natural and I felt muscles relax instead of tensing. Warmth flooded my entire being, just from a simple touch.

"I know it must be hard for you, to have her so far away. But you said it yourself, the chance to attend Tokyo University was too good of an opportunity for her to miss to follow you here," he said soothingly, giving me a smile and my hand a squeeze.

It felt like he squeezed my heart.

"_Hoshi wo atsumete tsukuru suna no oshiro ni/Watashi no sasayaka na inori/Koborete ochiru sono ashimoto wo/Machibusete nami ga semaru…"_

Thank God for Muyo.

Whipping my hand out of Yugi's, I held up the other to tell him to excuse me for a moment as I answered the phone. "Hello?" I greeted casually, speaking in English for Yugi's sake.

"Hello, Onii-sama," Muyo's pleasant voice drifted over the lines and my smile was completely involuntary. Like me, she switched to English. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, just hanging up with Yugi. What's up?" I winked at Yugi as I mentioned his name, and he chuckled before paying attention to his work again. I could tell from the tilt of his head he was still listening, and I had no doubt he was hearing both sides of the conversation.

"Not too much," she answered with casualness even I would have believed. "I'm supposed to babysit tonight, but that's about it."

The reminder of the time change had me doing quick math. "What the hell are you doing up at six-thirty in the morning anyway?" I fired at her, sitting up a little straighter. That was early even for her.

"I have class at eight-thirty, dumb ass," she snarked, "and I don't live on or near campus, so it's a thirty minute commute. If I want to get a run in before hand, I need to get up this early." Meaning Rebecca had school at that time, and Muyo wasn't making the girl go by herself.

"You could always walk." Meaning Rebecca could.

"And let my bike sit idle in my parking spot? Bite your tongue." And that explained why she was doing it anyway.

I snickered when Yugi shot me a look and mouthed "Bike?" at me. Mouthing back, "Suzuki motorcycle," I full-out laughed when he about fell over in shock. "You just shocked my young friend, shame on you," I informed her dryly.

"You never said I needed to be nice to the boy-toy," she quipped back, making choke briefly on my own saliva.

"Excuse me?" I said a bit sharply, glaring off to the side as if she could see my expression.

She didn't sound the least bit repentant at first. "Well, you didn't!" When I didn't reply, she (in her mystic-little-sister way) realized that I was actually upset with her, I just was trying not to show it. There was silence for a moment, then she sighed. "Okay, I see how it is… I need to go for a run, I was just calling to let you know I may have a date Friday night, and I will not deal with big brother bullshit from you."

Snorting, I started tapping my fingers on the countertop as the only sign of agitation I showed. "Just because I am not there—," I started, only to be cut off, like planned.

"I will finally make it out the front door before he runs away in terror," she quipped back, "And with that, run. I will not get fat because you decided to get chatty. Bye, Onii-sama!" I barely had time to fit in a good-bye of my own before the sound of a dial tone reached me.

Of course, it was all a ploy.

What that entire conversation meant was that Muyo and Rebecca were establishing themselves to the Kaiba brothers, and most likely she would be invited to run with them Friday night, the next full moon. It would get her nice and close to them. It was a handy tool as a Hunter… But more importantly in my thinking, Muyo would get to be part of a real pack, if only for the night.

"She sounds…sassy," Yugi said tentatively.

I snorted. "That's an understatement," I said with a sigh, pocketing my phone. All that sass was usually muffled around other Hunters, and she was admittedly flaring it up for this mission, both to attract the elder Kaiba's attention and to make her sound like the mischievous little sister over the phone for me. Still, it was nice to hear it out loud instead of just whispered or in her expression.

Yugi laughed under his breath at my reaction, and I found myself staring. Despite some of our similar appearances, the fact remained that in my eyes, there was something slightly more…feminine about Yugi. Almost beautiful…

Grabbing my thoughts, I shoved them into a box. This vacation was getting to my head. I needed to get back to Kyoto.

A growing sense of panic was growing in my mind as I continued to notice all these…stupid… little things as Yugi started stacking the dried glasses where they needed to go. This wasn't supposed to be happening. I was supposed to stop by, chat with him as he finished up chores, then go out with him and a couple of his friends for a bite to eat before he had to work at the pub tonight. Not pay more attention to his actions than I ever did to the little airheads that hung around the estate.

Clearing my throat roughly, I finally jumped easily over the counter and started helping stack glasses. This earned me a strange look from Yugi, since I hadn't shown any of my acrobatic skills yet. Hunter training gave me upper body strength and dexterity, but I had been making efforts to hide that from Yugi. No matter how pacifist his pack may be, any wolf can notice a Hunter being overt. As it was, he was uneasy for a moment, but eventually relaxed in my presence again.

It was easy, quiet between us. I felt some of my own stress ease, built up since I took leadership.

Perhaps it was because I was relaxed that I wasn't paying attention to how Yugi was moving.

Both of us reached for a scotch glass at the same time. Our fingers brushed, and a rush of energy flooded through me. Jerking my eyes up, I saw Yugi's own astonished amethyst orbs meeting mine. We were so close. My eyes darted down to the soft mouth that I had caught myself staring at occasionally. Longing filled me.

I quickly backed up, averting my eyes. "Sorry," I muttered softly, not even entire sure what I was apologizing for.

Yugi stared at me for a long moment. "It's no big deal," he finally said with a smile. I swallowed and nodded, being much more careful from then on with when and where I moved.

As I was leaving for the night, Yugi grabbed me by the elbow. "Hey," he murmured, catching my attention, I turned to face him, curious as to what he wanted. "Umm… Just, whenever you are ready, I'll be there, okay?"

"I don't understand," I said, obviously baffled but what he was saying.

He just smiled and, surprisingly, kissed my cheek. "You will," he said confidently before leaving me standing there, looking utterly pole-axed.

* * *

Rather than returning to my apartment, I walked to the docks and paced along the water front, despite the cold temperatures. I needed the cold. I needed to think.

I knew exactly what Yugi was hinting at it. Muyo had warned me of Yugi's…sexual preferences…before I had left the estate to catch the plane to Boston. They hadn't shocked me, I had just started wondering what this meant for the leadership of the Garnet Pack once he stepped down. Now, I wondered if she had warned me for a completely different reason.

Did she see something in me? Did she see something that made her think…? I knew about Bakura, he had jokingly flirted with me once or twice, but I wasn't his type… But had I flirted back? Did I…? Was I…?

Blowing out a puff of air, I leaned against a railing and rolled my head forward. My thoughts and emotions were so tangled… Taking a few deep breaths, I fell into a meditative state. I always found answers this way, whenever I had felt lost or was overwhelmed by the other Hunters. There, everything fell away and I could either discover exactly what I wanted, or what my own logic pointed to as the right solution.

It worked for me now. Opening my eyes, I felt…not necessarily at peace with my new knowledge, but sure that it was right. I pulled my phone out of my pant pocket and hit speed dial. I let it go to voicemail, standard Hunter procedure.

"Call me back," I said brusquely, "There's been a change in plans."

**Closer:**

**See? I didn't go for the obvious kiss. Aren't you guys proud? Don't worry, they will have their moment. I wonder who Yami called…?**

**Translations:**

_**Hoshi wo atsumete tsukuru suna no oshiro ni/Watashi no sasayaka na inori/Koborete ochiru sono ashimoto wo/Machibusete nami ga semaru—Gathering up stars in a castle made of sand/is where I modestly pray/Overflowed and fading away those steps are being swept away by an ambushing wave**_**, lyrics to Suna no Oshiro by Kanon Wakeshima, well-known as the ending to Vampire Knight Guilty.**

**Onii-sama—big brother**


	11. Chapter 11: Bakura

**AN: Yay, another update. I've made a priority list for working on fanfics, so maybe I'll get through stuff, right? And I move Friday, so that means after that almost a full week where as long as I get through my paper from my summer class, I'll be getting several HOURS a day to work on writing.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Eleven: Bakura**

_**London, England**_

Blowing out my current puff of smoke, I glared at the landscape of the city I grew up in. I hate this place. I swore to never come back. So what the hell was I still doing here?

_You know why. It has big, brown eyes and has snowy white hair._

Shoving that inner wolf thing aside, I continued to brood. I should have either ferreted out the information Atem wanted or said, "Screw it," and gone back to Japan, till I got new hunting orders. I never stuck around. Especially in places I hated.

_Just go already. You know you are just curious and are putting off checking it out._

And damn that inner wolf voice for being right.

I tossed the lit cigarette into the crystal ashtray left beside my balcony's sliding glass doors, letting it burn itself out. What did I care if the place burned down?

A prickle from that voice's direction in my mind had me growling and stalking back over to snub it out. It felt smug as I grabbed my leather jacket and stalked out, slamming the door behind me.

Walking along the streets, I snorted at the fussy neighborhood I currently "lived" in as part of this hunt. The lower side, the dirt and grime part of town, had been my stomping grounds as a kid, and now here I was in the part of town I always despised for having everything I wanted. I had robbed the people who lived here blind whenever they were stupid enough to step into my side of town. It was damn luck, though good or bad I didn't know, that had made me pick the pocket of one of England's best Hunters when I was twelve. He had seen something in me that reminded him of the Egyptian family that had just married into the Yukimura family.

Turned out my good-for-nothing mother had been very distantly a Hunter through the same family, just a few generations removed and obviously lost to the line trackers… Atem had ripped them a new one once he got into power, found out that they had been picking those they considered worthy to follow rather than keeping up with all the lines.

Yanking my head out of the past, I worked my way through the streets and back allies to the cemetery I had already traced Ryo Bakura's family to. Rather than go through the church, I went over the fence and found my own way.

_Typical_.

_Bloody shut up._

Scowling, I shoved the inner wolf forcibly to the back of my mind before I started checking tombstones for names. Finally, I stopped in front of two, plain stone markers

_Lenore Bakura, Beloved Mother, Daughter, and Friend_

_Amane Bakura, Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Friend_

Looking at the dates, I let out a low whistle. Both had died the same day. That had to be a hard hit to Kenji Bakura and Ryo, both. However, it was Amane's birthday that caught my attention. I had memorized Ryo's profile, and so I had to double check my mental records and the date engraved into the stone.

_They were twins…_ the inner wolf breathed out in disbelief, and I was right there with it. No one had told us that. Muyo had said that the Bakura family was closed mouthed, but this was just…

"What are you doing here?"

The normally soft voice, with a sweet British accent, was sharp in the damp air. Whipping my head around, I saw Ryo standing there, umbrella under an arm in case the drizzle became harder, two bunches of flowers in hand. His face was a mask, supposedly calm, but I had learned that there was a lot of grief hidden under that. I didn't want to twist it towards rage.

Forcing my body into a casual, slouched position, I pulled out the Cajun persona I had adopted here in England so no one would realize I was local. "Got _curieux_…" I drawled, trying to sound nonchalant, "Heard enough from de _portins _that I was able to find dis place." Looking back at the grave, I tried to wrap my mind around what I saw and what Ryo had told me. "Yah said yah lost _ta soeur, mais_, yah never said she was _ta jumelle_…"

Ryo came to stand beside me, kneeling down to place the two bouquets down on their respective graves. Both were white, and wrapped in plain green paper, but the flowers themselves were different. Amane's was a simpler flower I didn't know, while even I could tell he left roses for his mother. Muyo grew them, but damn if I could tell if this was one of the ones she kept or not. He stayed down there for a little while. "No one really understands," he finally said softly, "They don't understand the bond we have."

I recalled the boarding school that I attended while I trained to become a Hunter. Being completely alone until Atem and Muyo joined forces with me. Even when I was considered part of a close-knit group with them, still feeling envious when I watched the two interact. "Age" and "difference" were just two words to them, who had grown up with just each other for like-aged company. As much as someone looking in from the outside could, I understood what he meant. I just didn't trust myself to say anything.

The silence made me conscious of our surroundings, and I about wanted to shoot myself. Now, when Ryo had had plenty of time to attack, did I think to check my weapons. And I had been hair-brained enough to only leave with a silver switchblade in my pocket and a small handgun loaded with silver bullets in my left boot.

The inner wolf sniggering in my head hinted that it wasn't just my own preoccupied thoughts that had led to that mistake.

Instantly, I became that much more tense. There was no longer a choice of flight or fight if this became a trap. I would have to fight my way to the nearest Hunter headquarters, which was far enough away that it would be a crap shoot at best. And I would rather not have to be rescued again. Assuming that I didn't get bit by the fleabags again. According to the medics, I wouldn't survive another large dose of venom.

Damn.

Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.

I was so fucked.

"So, are all French _curieux_ like you?" Ryo unexpectedly asked, his British accent fucking with his French.

I blinked and had to remember that I wasn't me, and that acting like an offended London-born Britain was not in my best interest or health. I caught the London-street accent at the tip of my tongue and swallowed it before laughing to cover my near slip. "_Peut-etre, mais_, I am Cajun. We're our own breed back on de bayou, _non_?"

He laughed, that soft rolling chuckle that grew louder until it slowly died. It made me warm a little inside, before I squashed that shit right back down. Damn it all, I was not going to be distracted. That laugh stayed in his voice for a change as he asked softly, "What about your family? Are they as horribly curious?"

That one question sent me stumbling. I hadn't established a family for this persona, carefully avoiding it with strangers whenever it came up by small accidents or other distractions. But damn it all, Ryo was too close by now for that. So what did I do? I couldn't ramble about my hooker mom, an illegal immigrant from Egypt brought over as a mistress then dumped like trash once she got pregnant with me. The kid-gang I ran with growing up wasn't much better. We trusted each other like we trusted the shit-hole we lived in: not at all. Muyo and Atem had been my sorta-siblings, till politics and reality had demanded that I remember that I was just a Hunter while Atem was my boss, and Muyo was supposed to be the scum on our shoes.

Swallowing thickly, my eyes frequently scanned the area in front of me for threats as I tried to think of the best way out of this fuckin' situation. "I…" I began to stammer, losing my Cajun accent at the wrong moment. I swallowed again, not sure how to finish. He turned to look at me, obviously confused.

The clouds opened up overhead, and enough rain to drown a rat came pouring down all at once.

"Bloody hell," Ryo sputtered out himself, hurriedly opening his umbrella and ducking under it's protective covering. Sopping wet myself, since I didn't have a thing to cover my head, I felt a huge bit of relief. Perhaps God was looking out for this ex-thief after all…

"Come on, there's a coffee shop down the street," Ryo invited me with a smile, "You can wait for the worst of this to pass, right?"

"_Oui_," I replied shortly, holding my hand up to keep the stinging rain from falling into my eyes as my hair flattened itself to my scalp. The short walk would have to be enough time to come up with some sort of back story for a persona that wasn't supposed to last more than a few damn days, yet here I was over a month later still trying to be Cajun.

Ryo turned and jogged off, expertly managing not to slip in the slick surface created by the new water on the ground, and I followed, making a bigger deal out of struggling on the cobblestone path than I actually had. My only real stumble came when I was distracted watching the gazelle-like form of Ryo running in front of me.

Damn it all, Muyo was right to warn me about this wolf. He was completely my type, physically and emotionally. The vulnerability that I _knew_ was just because he lost his sister as well as the way he hid under those layers of clothes drew me in like honey. I just was waiting for the trap to close in around me. If he gave so much as a hint, I would be all over him.

And wouldn't care a flipping damn if he bit me in a fit of passion. What a way to die, right?

That inner wolf thing started snickering in my head again, and this time I didn't even bother shoving it aside.

Damn.

Watching that tight little ass move in front of me, I picked up that chant again.

Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Before I could get caught, my phone began to chime. Of course, I remember that damn thing, but not a gun. I ignored it till we were under a tarp and then brought it out. "_Allo_?" I greeted, eyeballing Ryo. I was suppose to let it go to voicemail, but that was a little too odd when I was in company.

"You can't follow the rules, can you?"

"_Non_," I quipped back comfortably.

"Well, there's been a change in plans. Do you want me to tell you the details now, or through e-mail?"

Glancing at Ryo patiently waiting, I said, "E-mail, _s'il tu plait_."

"Okay, on their way, Lebeau. Check your e-mail as soon as you can."

"_Oui_," I said with forced patience and an exaggerated roll of my eyes to Ryo, making him laugh again and warming me despite the chill caused by my damp clothes.

"Be safe, smart ass."

"You too, _ma petite,_" I replied and hung up with a sigh.

"Girlfriend?" Ryo inquired. Was that jealousy I heard…?

_You're hearing things._

_Oh, what do you know?_

_More than you, apparently. Start lying, you bloody moron._

Snapping my attention forward again, I shook my head and freely laughed. "_Non_, _ma petite soeur_," I told him, building my false background as we entered the café. Being a very good liar came in handy occasionally. I ignored the twinge that caused from my conscious.

**Closer:**

**Gah, it's short this time, sorry. But this was what got covered this chapter, so I suppose I should just be happy, right?**

**The current priority list is in my profile, and where I am on it is in bold, so you all can keep up with where I am.**

**Translations:**

**curieux—curious**

**portins—gossips**

**ta soeur—your sister**

**mais—but**

**ta jumelle—your twin**

**peut-etre—maybe**

**non—no**

**allo—the French way of answering the phone**

**s'il tu plait—informal way of saying please**

**ma petite—my little one**

**ma petite soeur—my little sister**


	12. Chapter 12: Duke

**AN: Okay, I think my new priority list idea is working. I'm certainly outputting more than I have been lately, right? (You'll only know this if you've been following the updates on the priority list on my user page.) This Duke chapter wasn't quite so painful, and nowhere near as painful as Serenity's last one, thank God. I'll quit bugging you all now, but real quick, this goes out to Egyptian Shadow Wolf, who took the effort to find me on dA. Way to go, and thanks for waiting so patiently!**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Twelve: Duke**

_**Sydney, Australia**_

Staring outside of the large windows as I tried to organize my thoughts, I kept coming back to the same thought.

_Damn Atem._

This was supposed to be simple. Get in, charm the girl, find some little secret about the werewolves that we didn't already know thanks to our oh-so-wonderful-NOT! records, and then go home. Easy. A completely green Hunter could do it. The problem was, I had forgotten the most important rule in these kinds of situations.

Don't let your actual feelings get involved.

Yeah, that didn't happen. I mean, I know that Atem and that half-breed sister of his just looked at age and social class to find the best Hunters for each job, but it sure felt like someone who knew my type of girl went in and pointed out that I was perfect for this job, just so they could screw with me.

Don't get me wrong, Serenity has serious issues. She's what you'd call a Stepford smiler, from that creepy American movie. No matter what she really feels or thinks, she just smiles at you as if that will make you forget or not notice. And the crappy thing was, it worked on almost all those around her, to the point I had to pretend to fall for it too. There was a lot of depression and anger in her, and I just wanted to let it all out. I had no doubt that she was just as sweet as she pretended to always be, but without her real temper, it just felt sickening rather than refreshing like it should be.

And I'm standing here waxing poetry about her when I should be figuring out what the hell I'm going to do about her. Banging my head next to my fisted hand on the window, I hissed, "Damn it." No matter what I did, I saw both of us getting burned by our respective sides, or by each other. Hell, the girl had revealed that she was _blind_ to me a few weeks ago. A normal Hunter would immediately send a note to the local families and what did I do? I sat on it, and risked my own hide to protect her. If someone found out… I shuddered.

There was only one thing I could do. _We_ could do. Sighing, I backed away from the window and stuck my hands in my pockets. It was the only real option. I just had to hope she didn't hate me.

As soon as the lunch bell rang, I was up and over to the seat I had taken to perching myself on while I waited on Serenity to gather her things. Today, I was quiet instead of joking. Those pretty hazel eyes looked at me, worried, and I knew that she sensed that things were about to change. "Can we talk, out by the tree?" I asked quietly. The tree was where we ate lunch, her friends sometimes joining us, but usually leaving us alone.

"Sure," she quickly answered, grabbing her bag and pulling it over her shoulder. I offered her my hand, like I always did. She had strained her eyes before, to make it look like she was like everyone else. I had slammed that crap down, making it clear that I was more than happy to make sure she didn't run into anybody when she was walking with me.

She chattered, a trait that she usually didn't have. Usually I was the one who talked, with her commenting as she saw fit. I knew she was trying to fill the silent in nerves, as she picked up on my suddenly somber mood.

Once we were safely outside and in relative privacy, I watched as she took a seat at the roots of the large tree. The wind tugged at her brunette hair, and I felt something clog my throat. _Oh please, let her not hate me…_

"Serenity," I said softly, "There's… something you don't know about me."

"Duke, we've only known each other for a few weeks, of course there is," she assured me with that smile of hers, the one I always saw through. I didn't smile back this time, and I watched as her expression changed as she realized I knew.

I pointedly looked at her forehead. "Peridot…" was all I had to say.

Instantly, her hand flew up to as if to feel the stone to make sure it really was there. "How did… Can you see…?" The questions were tumbling off her tongue so fast, she couldn't even finish a thought.

I closed my eyes and turned my back so I wouldn't have to face her. "It's the way of the world, you know that. Only… only certain people can see those stones. Other wolves…"

"…and Hunters," she finished for me, her voice soft. I couldn't resist. I had to turn my head so I could see her, and what I saw killed me. She had her head bowed, hands in her lap like a docile little mouse waiting for the cat to eat it.

"Serenity, Serenity don't… Don't act like I'm suddenly going to hurt you, damn it!" I barely managed to keep my volume down. My hands tightened into fists. "Don't you get it? I hate this as much as you do! I wish they had never given me this curs'd assignment!"

"Why did they? What did you want, to hurt us in a new way?" she unexpectedly demanded of me. Her tone was upset, and I could tell she didn't want to start crying in front of the enemy.

"No! Well, yes, but not like that!" I wanted, for the first time in my life, to ruin my hairdo by running my fingers through it in frustration. I settled for fisting one hand in the bangs. "We… We were sent out, to learn more about you. Our records are horrible, we keep getting situations like Bakura, where the idiot almost died from your venom and would have if it weren't for the fact he's only half-Hunter."

"So what? Get close to me, see if I'll tell you something? Is that why you are telling me now?"

"You think I'm _supposed_ to tell you any of this?" I snapped back at her for the first time ever. "My own parents would be ashamed of me if they knew! The Council would order an immediate execution! And that damn Atem wouldn't be able to do a damn thing about it."

She stared at me, obviously shocked, before she said softly, "You… You're risking your life to tell me this? Why?"

Sighing, I felt my anger start to ebb too. "Because I couldn't keep doing this, Serenity. Lying to you, being close to you when you have no idea what the risks are."

She hesitated before standing and taking a step toward me. "What now? Will you leave, will you stay? What about us?"

I shrugged my shoulders, knowing I physically looked uncomfortable. "It's… up in the air. I can't return unless I admit my cover was blown, or they call me back." Silence was between us before I finally asked, "Do you… Do you have to be a werewolf?" I hurried before she could stop me, "The records tell of werewolves that stopped phasing, and became human eventually, even had the gem removed. If you did that, the hunting would stop, at least for you. And you'd be able to get away from your grandfather…" I trailed off as I watched her face change, no longer the always smiling and actually showing her thoughts.

She had crossed her arms, blocking herself from me. I could only watch and wait. Suddenly, she looked up to the sky as if she could see something there. "It's almost a full moon tonight," she noted, "Everyone will be shifting, but no one will be running in packs. The days before the full moon are for one's self." Serenity looked at me, and this time I knew I was seeing the real her, the person she tried so hard to protect. "Meet me in the playground of the elementary school tonight. Please? And then think about your question again."

I slowly nodded my head. "Tonight then."

* * *

My boot made a satisfying _thwak_ as it hit the seat of the swing. The black plastic buckled, and then swung with the force of my kick.

I had been out here long enough that the moon was safely up in the sky. My silver-tipped knife was safely in my boot, and I had a loaded gun in my jacket pocket just in case. Wolves could sometimes smell Hunters, depending on their most recent kill and the amount of silver they had on them. I hadn't killed a wolf in months, and the amount of silver on me could be mistaken for my jewelry, part of why I wore so much.

Still my skin was crawling. Where is she…?

The faintest of leaves rattling, and I twisted my head, instantly on the alert. A paw stepped out of the leaves. A wolf walked out into the playground, which suddenly felt infinitely more dangerous. _Female, adolescent_, my mind instantly began recording as if in preparation for a Hunt, _sandy brown fur, hazel eyes…_ Swallowing, I shut down the instinct and knelt down so that I was eye level with the wolf….with Serenity. "A little warning next time, huh?" I half-asked, half demanded from her.

Her whiskers lifted as she bore her teeth a little, in a gesture I took to mean laughter. She padded forward now, tail wagging, at the obvious acceptance I was offering her. I laughed and scratched her ruff as she pressed her nose into my neck. Pulling back, I tried to understand a little of what she was showing me as she backed away with a skip and a yip in her throat.

Standing up again, I watched as she darted around the playground like a puppy, all energy and an eagerness to show off. It was when she neatly jumped over an obstacle that I realized what I was seeing, and my throat went dry.

I guess my expression or something said as much, because she stopped in her play and walked back towards me again, shifting while in mid-stride. "Duke?" she said carefully.

"You can see, in that form," I finally forced the words out of my throat.

She surprised me by shaking her head and smiling at me, sincerely. "No, but I can smell. Everything has its own scent, and that is its own kind of vision. With my eyes, I can sense all parts of my surroundings as a wolf…" Once she was in reach of me, she paused and tilted her head. "Do you understand now, what you were asking me before?"

Nodding my head dumbly, I tried to swallow and managed to croak out, "You can see."

Shaking her long mane of hair, she smiled at me, this time sincerely. "Sort of. My sense of smell is so much better, it helps my vision so much that it is as good as having my eyes." Despite her smile, I could tell she was worried about my reaction.

She had every right to be. There was no way I could ask her to give up being a wolf now. I knew exactly how much being blind as a human left her vulnerable. Being able to at least sense where things are enough to mimic sight as a wolf…it had to be what was most precious to her. But at the same time… I'm a Hunter. There was very little around that.

"I—" My reply was cut off by the shrill ring of my phone. Hesitating, I reluctantly pulled it out and glanced at the number. "I have to answer," I told her with a sigh. Flipping the phone open, I said, "Hello?"

**Closer: Yet another phone cliffy? Yeesh, this is becoming a habit… Are you all proud of me? This Duke chapter is much longer than his or Serenity's usually are. Don't forget to check my user page to see where I am as far as updating!**

**Translations:**

**None!**


	13. Chapter 13: Kaiba

**AN: …I'm TRYING to get through this story. I really am. I hate that I keep getting bogged down and unable to give you all rapid updates.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Thirteen: Kaiba**

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

I tapped my fingers on my desk's surface as I glared absently at my computer's screen. It wasn't the stock or any of the projects that had me frustrated. It was my calendar, which had just popped up with a notice that tonight I had a scheduled appointment with Dr. Luna Plein, though it didn't list anything specific. It wasn't this that bothered me. It was clever, which I had reluctantly come to recognize as a signature of my PA.

It was the fact that it was…

_Just spit it out._

_Shut up._

_It's lavender, Seto. It isn't going to bite you._

I scowled deeper at the verbalization of exactly what color the notice was on my calendar. I appreciated her helping me stay organized, especially in the madness since Gervais-san's visit that finalized the work between our two companies. But there were times when I wanted to strangle her, just for (usually figuratively) poking at me.

Damn her for being too good at her job for me to risk firing her.

Laughter outside my office door further solidified why else I exactly kept her around. Sighing, I began to close out screens so my computer could be shut down for the night. Akira had already gone home, to see to her pack. My own pack…well, it was outside that door.

Mokuba had always had difficulty making friends among the humans. Our odd family made him stand out from even the other children at his private school. He never complained, always more than happy with the two or three real friends he did have and with me. Shrieks in good-natured protest, and then Mizuno's quiet voice bringing the volume back down, brought me to the situation at hand. Somehow, she had wormed her way into Mokuba's heart as his new, precious "Onee-sama," and her little sister had easily become his best friend, despite teasing from the kids at school.

On one hand, I wanted it to end. I had been the center of Mokuba's world for so long, and him mine, that I didn't know how to deal with intruders. Especially half-human loners with too much sass for their own good. But at the same time… I wanted my little brother, who at times I admittedly treated more like my own pup than a brother, to be happy.

Shrugging my coat on, I ignored the fact that my inner wolf was snickering at me with practiced ease and walked out. I quirked a brow when the children weren't in my immediate sight, but a look into Mizuno's work space said it all. They had the latest handheld game system between them, Rebecca holding the stylus while Mokuba worked the controls. I didn't know what they were playing, but judging from the looks on their faces it was some sort of puzzle game. A glance at the desk itself showed that Mizuno was finishing putting away her own things. Now was the time, then.

"Are you almost done?"

She looked up in surprise, then down at her things. I realized belated that she was still in her work-appropriate clothes, the clothes I had heard Akira refer to as her "riding leathers" draped over her office chair. "Um, almost," she finally answered hesitantly, her confused honesty making me feel like I had the upper hand, like I should. "Just… need to duck into somewhere to change."

I nodded briskly. I saw Mokuba straighten up from where he was sitting on the floor, a hopeful look on his face. "Did you ask Onee-sama earlier today, Ani-ue?" he asked excitedly.

_Of course not, _my inner wolf replied snarkily. It had been harassing me all day about this.

Mizuno looked confused, and tilted her head to share a baffled look with Rebecca. Clearing my throat quietly, I pointedly refused to look at either of them. Instead, I gave Mokuba a look. He was usually able to pick up on what I had and hadn't done, and thus not say anything to get us both into hot water.

"Ani-ue was going to invite Onee-sama to run at the estates tonight," he said excitedly, not even needing to meet my eyes for a second to know that I hadn't actually asked yet. I pointedly avoided looking at _any_ of them after his little announcement.

"That's nice of you to invite Onee-san, Kaiba-san," Rebecca spoke up cheerily. I could tell from her tone she didn't know what we were really talking about.

"Wolves usually don't like being penned up on the night of the full moon," I grumbled as my only explanation.

_You are so in Egypt, Seto._

Shut up._ I have no idea what you are talking about._

_Sure, you don't._

Rebecca's startled gasp caught my attention, and this time I turned to look at the sisters. The little blonde was giving her big sister a shocked look, as if she had forgotten something…Oh, right, half-sisters. I sneered slightly at the _humans_ response to what was a very natural event for my brother, myself, and even Mizuno.

Thankfully, she handled it better than I would have. Grabbing her leathers in one hand, she walked over to put a hand on Rebecca's head in a gesture of comfort. "Thank you for the offer, Kaiba-sensei. I honestly was having trouble to find someone to baby-sit tonight for the entire night, and obviously Rebecca isn't quite comfortable with me wandering around the apartment on four legs. Give me a moment, and I will be right back, ready to go."

I nodded tensely, my eyes still on the little girl. She had looked down at her lap, obviously ashamed of her reaction to the concept of the full moon and what it did to all those around her. My inner wolf snorted, his eyes narrowed at her in disapproval. When she looked up, I saw that she was entirely apologetic.

Good.

I ignored her and leaned against Mizuno's desk as we waited for her. The little brat would have to _earn_ her forgiveness from me.

* * *

The house was painfully silent as I made my way down stairs from my bedroom. Rather than change while still wearing my suit, I had changed into a button-up shirt and slacks that were far more comfortable, after encouraging…okay, ordering…Mizuno to do the same. She had given me the stink eye, but surprisingly pulled something out of her bike's saddle bags before letting a servant show her to the guest room assigned to her for the night, despite the fact she wouldn't actually be sleeping in it. Rebecca's was right next to it, and I had seen to it that a servant would be keeping a sharp eye on her for the evening. I didn't want a human getting into trouble when I was busy being the alpha of my pack.

Mokuba was already in the kitchen when I arrived, bouncing on the balls of his feet in eagerness. I grinned, slightly, and ruffled his hair in greeting. He beamed at me, before looking towards the door, obviously watching for Mizuno now. "I hope she hurries," he said with a sigh. A glance out the nearest window told me why. The sun was going to dip below the horizon in only a few minutes.

Rapid footsteps alerted me that Mokuba's wish was going to be granted. I turned my head so I could glare and scold the woman as soon as she showed her face. Instead, my mouth parted without my permission in surprise. I had seen her in her riding leathers and her work attire, but this Mizuno… This was somebody else entirely. It wasn't the casual clothes, which she had layers of that fit her loosely rather than snugly like I was used to when it came to women of my age group, but rather her hair… It was down, and slightly wavy compared to normal. The silver framed her face delicately, while the darkness of the rest made her skin seem even paler than normal. It also made her look much younger than I was prepared for.

_She's not _that_ much younger than us._

_She looks like a high school student!_

_So? She isn't, so we're fine._

I inwardly sputtered at my inner wolf's idiotic ramblings. Twisting my head, the darkening sky thankfully grabbed my immediate attention. "We don't have much time. Come on."

Mokuba had gleefully grabbed a hold of Mizuno as she slid her motorcycle boots back on to wear outside. I smelled more than heard or saw his suprise before he asked, "Why are you wearing all wool, Onee-sama?"

I wrinkled my nose. Mizuno _always_ smelled like wool, like it was the only thing she ever wore.

"It's wool or shift back naked, Mokuba-kun," she replied back in a drawl as she and him followed me out the back door. They almost collided with me when I turned to look back at her, wide-eyed. She met my gaze and smirked slightly at my obvious reaction to her statement, which I could smell wasn't a lie. I whipped back around, trying desperately to ignore her, and the heat I felt growing under my skin.

_Aw, you're blushing, Seto!_

Shut up.

I growled at my inner wolf as I made my way to through the trees to the small clearing Mokuba and I usually transformed in. Once we were safely there, I leaned against the tree to wait for the sun to set. Mokuba, as was his way, began to bounce around excitedly, obviously eager to run with Mizuno…

…who was sitting down at the base of a tree with a grimace, acting like her whole body was stiff. She worked off her boots, proving that she wasn't lying about having to wear only wool when she shifted, and she stretched her legs out in front of her with a sigh.

"Onee-sama, are you okay?" Mokuba asked in obvious concern.

She shrugged, her eyes tracking the horizon rather than focusing on those around her. I found this curious. It wasn't like we had to change _exactly_ when the sun set. We could dally around for as long as fifteen minutes before the pull would become too strong, with the only side-effect being we would feel the fact we were not shifting like we were supposed to. Why was she so focused on the time?

The sun finished it's arc of the day. The Moon's power was no longer canceled by its glow. And I had my answer as to why Mizuno cared.

She whimpered when the sun set, her face screwing up as if she was being tortured. She grasped at her head, as if in great pain. Her body tilted sideways as if her since of equilibrium was lost, and she curled up in a ball defensively. The cries she gave were like she was being attacked by something, and her entire body was shaking.

Mokuba gave a panicked whimper, and he looked to me to explain what was happening. All I could do was shake my head, stunned into silence myself. It was only then that I noticed that fur slowly spreading down her skin, the shift in her vocals from that of pained human to pained wolf.

_Her shift is hurting her her this way?_ my inner wolf questioned in disbelief. I had no answer for it either, as I watched the final stages of her change from the girl with two-toned hair to that of a black and white wolf.

I felt Mokuba's shift in energy, much more rapid and gentle than Mizuno's had been. He tore across the clearing to the panting she-wolf's side, whimpering the entire time. Shaking off my shock, I followed him and assumed the form that was second-nature to me.

"_I'm fine, Mokuba-kun,"_ Mizuno tried to calm him as she stood on shaky legs. I was reminded of a newborn fawn, the way her legs trembled under her until their strength returned. She picked herself up and licked a protesting black pup between the ears when he wouldn't cut it out with the panicking. He whined and gave me a puppy-eyed look as she held him down, tickling him with her nose. I could tell by his tail's frantic wagging he was enjoying it.

My own tail shifted slightly in what was a mockery of a wave, and a wolf's smile tugged at my face. I stomped down that urge quickly. Mizuno was not the largest female I'd ever met, and yet… She had no problem establishing with Mokuba that she was alpha to him. Hell, anyone who walked in on them would think she was his mother.

_Seto…?_ my inner wolf drawled hopefully. I had only a vague awareness what it was trying to imply before I shut it down. It sighed in exasperation, and I heard it mutter something about Egypt again before it left me be.

A howl from close by had both me and Mokuba perking our ears up and looking to the West. It had Mizuno scuttling off of Mokuba, and hiding in the tree line. I gave her a strange look, and the obsidian in her forehead was like a kick to the gut. That's right, most wolves would think she was intruding if they caught sight of her. Thankfully, my little brother was having none of that. He immediately bound of to her, pressing up against her side. She looked down at him, her disbelief apparent, but when he stubbornly sat down, she gave a brief wag of her tail before looking towards the west.

Two wolves stepped through a well-worn path, both elderly and female. Identical in size, markings, and with the sapphire in the center of their forehead, there was only one way to tell them apart. While both were brown with blue-green eyes, Shizuka was subtly darker in both fur and eye color compared to her sister, Suzuki. Gray streaked their muzzles and their ears, but they walked with a stately grace that even I recognized.

"Kaiba-sama," they greeted in unison, stopping to bow their heads to me in greeting. I nodded in return and gave a soft, rumbling growl. Mokuba reluctantly left Muyo's side to approach the sisters, who licked his nose in greeting. Once I was sure they were settled, I padded over to where Muyo was hiding again, obviously confused.

I hesitated, but instead of explaining myself, I gave her a look out of the corner of my eye before trotting off deeper into the trees. My ears laid back at first when I eventually heard her tear off to follow me, but when she didn't dart ahead and rub my alpha instincts the wrong way, they naturally began to swivel to hear the surrounding night creatures.

Gradually, I increased my pace. With her size, I didn't dare just start my normal habit of taking off at a strong lope, but I was surprised when I found myself doing it anyway. Small she may have been, but apparently Mizuno was fleet-footed…for a female.

Snorting as I slowed down to catch my breath, hours later, I wasn't surprised when she practically fell to the ground, panting, once I came to a stop. My size gave me much more stamina, and that is assuming she ran regularly. I turned to look at her, watching as she rolled over on to her back and… I tilted my head to the side.

My inner wolf was amused. _Aw, how cute._

_She's acting like a pup._

_Exactly, it's cute._

"_Sorry, my back always itches when it gets sweaty from running," _she apologized, rolling back over onto her belly. I understood then that she was using the dirt to absorb the sweat. Appropriately, I moved back several paces so she could shake it out of her fur.

Once she had recovered, I went off to the clearing, hearing her follow behind me. The moon would set before the sun rose, after all.

* * *

The first thing I head with human ears was Mizuno's pitiful moan. Turning my head to the side, I watched her stretch and barely refrained from wincing as I heard multiple joints pop.

"Is it always like this when you shift?" I heard Mokuba ask in amazement.

"Every time," she replied on sigh, her voice sounding hoarse. My brows furrowed at the oddities. I had met other half-humans before… They were rare, but we had them. And they shifted just fine, just like the rest of us. Why did it hurt her so badly…?

I pushed aside those questions when I heard Mokuba yawn. "It's late," I said, though perhaps _early_ would have been more accurate. "Rebecca's probably still asleep. Stay here, for a couple hours."

_Is it because Rebecca's asleep, or because you think her body needs time to recover before she tries to ride that bike out of here?_

_If she crashed, I would have to find another PA._

_Sure, keep telling yourself that._

Mizuno blinked, but gave an affirmative answer. I didn't even nod my head in acknowledgment as I entered the kitchen. On the table, I saw that her cell phone's screen was lit up, an incoming call coming in despite it not vibrating or ringing at all. _She must have it set to be silent during certain hours…_ Ignoring it, I went to find my own way into bed. What did I care if she missed a call from someone with the last name Yukimura?

**Closer: Okay, that is the last phone cliffy, I swear. And dear god, Kaiba, SHUT UP! (Who would have thought I would say that?) This word count went out of hand… Again…**

**Don't expect any updates till December… I'm doing NaNoWiMo (National Novel Writing Month) and I severely doubt I will be finding time to work on fanfiction while knee-deep in THAT.**

**Translations:**

**Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City (I know, canon says it's most likely a Tokyo suburb, but I needed it more south!)**

**-san—honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…**

**Onee-sama—big sister**

**Ani-ue—also big brother, slightly less formal and more endeared than onii-sama**

**Onee-san—big sister, less formal  
**

**-sensei—a title applied to those in of higher authority and/or expertise, such as teachers, doctors, etc…**

**-kun—honorific applied to the names of boys, one of familiarity and usually for those of the same age or younger; is usually considered cutesy when applied to teens**

**-sama—honorific, given to one of high status**


	14. Chapter 14: Yugi

**AN: I SURVIVED NANOWRIMO! And succeeded, at that. :D I'll be editing that novel during this summer, but for now, I'm focusing on getting some serious fanfiction and short stories done. I have to get through a rewrite, finish writing a new original, and edit the prologue of my novel as far as original stuff is concerned, but for fanfiction? The only thing I have left is the chapter before the epilogue of THIS! *points accusingly at Wolf's Moon*So this is finishing before Febuary, conflabbit. If I discover by my birthday that I still have too far to go, I will stop working on other fics until it IS finished.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Fourteen: Yugi**

_**Boston, Massachusetts**_

Looking up at the clock reflexively when the bell rang, I grinned and eagerly began putting my things away into my bag, being careful even in my haste not to cause too much damage to my notebooks. Mom always shook her head at the sad state of my stuff at the end of the school year, and I would love to avoid those looks this year if I could. My hurry was because Yami was waiting for me at the pub. We were going on a walk, so I could show him around the part of Boston most tourists didn't see. He had asked for me to be his guide, now that his business had finally calmed down enough that he could take an afternoon off and actually do some exploring.

"Yugi!"

I twisted my head, only to catch sight of a yellow ribbon and still-powder blue hair, just before I had arms wrapped around my neck. "Hey, Miho," I returned her greeting with a laugh as I struggled not to topple over and send us both to the ground.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" she asked eagerly, letting go to bounce a few feet in front of me.

"Just running around the park like always," I immediately dismissed, shouldering my bag on to my shoulders and walking towards the front of the room. She pouted a little as she fell into place beside me.

The entire trip home was spent talking about the plans for this evening. Apparently, things were going better between her and Shane than I thought they were, and she wanted him to come with us. While I normally wouldn't have a problem with it, I was worried about the other members of our pack, a couple of our fellow classmates. Some of the other females may give Miho a hard time, or try to pursue Shane. However, Miho wasn't listening to me, as we made our way into the pub. She was adamant that she could handle the competition, and I finally agreed to let her try. It would be a bad idea to keep talking about it in public, anyway.

The door's bell chime made me reflexively look around the tables and chairs, as my world seemed to revolve around the noise. I couldn't help but grin at the one person leaning against the counter in the closed shop. Yami looked only a little uncomfortable, but he returned my smile and relaxed slightly. Wearing his typical clothing, I couldn't help but notice he looked a little more haphazard than normal, and wondered if he had been busy.

I didn't leave him alone, though, to be stared at and possible to get all freaked out on me. Instead, I left Miho and moved to his side, casually brushing my shoulder against his. "Hey," I greeted softly. "Alright?" I had been where he was, and was trying to help him with his new look at the world. It was slow going, to put it mildly.

He swallowed, a little thickly, but nodded his head. When he looked down at me, the hard, focused look in his eyes softened a little, and he didn't appear nearly as intimidating. "I'm fine," he told me softly.

"Aww, how cute," Miho cooed. Instantly, I saw his walls slam down, and he jerked his head forward to look at her with narrowed eyes. I sighed but didn't try to fight him on his stand-offish behavior. There were some mysteries about my…well, we weren't exactly dating yet, but still, he had these secrets and I was willing to let him have them for a little while yet.

After all, who was I to talk about keeping secrets?

"Miho, this is Yami Minamoto," I tried to keep things between us polite, "Yami, this is Miho. You remember, I've told you about her?"

Slowly, so slowly I wondered what he was thinking exactly, he relaxed and nodded his head. "Miss Ribbon," he confirmed, glancing at the yellow ribbon in her hair as if to double check that she really wore it all the time.

She looked at me with wide eyes, flushed a little. "You told him about that nickname?" she whined a little, and I laughed. While Yami didn't join us, he did smile at our amusement.

"Of course I told him," I told her, sticking my tongue out at her in a show of childishness.

Miho sighed and said, "I'm not surprised." She suddenly turned serious and met Yami head on. "Our little Yugi is quite taken with you. You better not break his heart, understand?"

I could tell that she took him by surprise. He blinked, but then smiled at her in a way that made my inner wolf sit up and take notice, and not entirely in a good way. "Of course," he replied smoothly, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. "And vice versa applies."

For the first time, I realized that Yami just didn't give off a danger vibe… If push came to shove, I had a feeling he would kill and not flutter an eyelash. This shouldn't have bothered me, my own instincts sometimes wanted to taste a little blood. But I never acted on them, and was always afraid to. Yami, though… He didn't have that reservation.

Sharing a look with Miho, I said, "Okay, enough attempts to embarrass me," I said pointedly, reaching to tug on Yami's arm. "We have plans this afternoon, remember? Keep Miho from breaking anything, I'll be right back."

"Is she coming along?"

I couldn't help the slight smile at his surprised question. So he didn't see this as just a group of friends hanging out either. "No, but I need to get her something from my room," I assured him. He smiled back at me, and I hurriedly dashed up the stairs. My backpack landed with a thump on the bed, followed by my uniform jacket. The dark jeans that were the bottom half of our uniform weren't too bad, but I did toss my white polo in exchange for a black tank. The black leather jewelry I always wore was quickly in place, and I grabbed my jacket again before I made my way back downstairs, barely remembering to grab the small box for Miho containing the gift she had asked me to buy for her for Shane, since she didn't know what to look for.

"Here you go," I said breathlessly, tossing the little box at her. She frantically struggled to catch it, all thumbs. Thankfully, Yami managed to grab the fallen box before it hit the floor.

Blushing sheepishly, she took it from him. "Thanks," she said with a wave before she hurried out the door, to get through the rest of her things to do before the run tonight.

Looking up at Yami, I beamed at him. "Okay, ready to go."

Finally, he agreeably began to walk beside me as we took to the streets of Boston.

* * *

I nipped at Miho as she tried to incite me into play fighting with her. Despite my status as alpha over my little pack, I was usually quite playful. However, something had my instincts on edge, and I was on full alert. Her fur still powder blue from the dye, Miho stuck out like a sore thumb as we inhabited a small glade in the local park no one visited at night. My mother, all auburn red fur, was similar. The moonlight reflected purple off of my otherwise black coat, with the gold framing my white face, the white also covering my belly and paws. Of all of the unusual coloring of the wolves in Boston, mine, believe it or not, was the closest to natural.

The night was slowly winding down. The full moon had past us the night before, but with it still so close to full, we all couldn't help but continue to meet like this as our wolf selves. It reinforced our feelings of pack, and it gave us a strength that we needed in our everyday lives. However, I felt like we were in danger. There hadn't been any Hunters lately, and perhaps it was their absence that had me feeling like someone was about to start firing silver bullets at us.

Whatever the reason, I had had enough. Standing up, I shook furiously, as if it would make my fur finally lie flat. "_It's early morning now,_" I pointed out, "_The moon will set soon. We should go home._"

Miho whined, but she and the others nodded in agreement. I waited till I saw them safely returning to their homes before I began to make my way home, Mom not with me. She was visiting some friends of hers who was too old to leave her home to run with a pack. She appreciated a little company around the full moon, and Mom didn't mind spending time with her. Mom would be back at the pub around mid-morning, when I was already gone to school, and we both would crash tonight as the full moon's pull finally relented and let us get a solid night of sleep.

Trotting along the streets, I kept to the shadows rather than run any more risks than I had to. Boston's pound was familiar with werewolves, they had to be because of the way we ran around the full moon, but that didn't mean I wanted to be one of their hassles. Every full moon, at least one of us ended up in there, and our cohorts who worked in the office would spend all the next morning having to straighten things out. I would like to be spared that embarrassment, thank you very much.

The pub's backdoor was easy to push open and close, and rather than lock the door, I did managed to stand on my hind legs and turn the dead bolt. I had no desire to turn into a human yet, I rarely got the chance to feel like the "big dog" as it were. I was short as a human, but decent-sized as a wolf, and it made me feel infinitely more confident that my shortness was just a phase.

The stairs were an easy climb, and I had purposefully left my bedroom door open—

Or not. I blinked and came to a pause when I saw the door was half-way closed. Maybe I had tried to close the door before I left in my hurry… Or Mom closed it behind me when she tried to leave. That sounded closer to right. The knob on my door sometimes stuck, so it didn't stick in place but instead swung back open, though never completely.

My inner wolf didn't buy it. It had gone into defensive mode. However, no strange scents were hitting my nose. Everything was familiar, safe.

Giving myself another full body shake, I shoved my door open, refusing to act afraid, only to hear a metallic click. My head snapped up, and I felt like a cornered deer rather than the fierce predator I was supposed to resemble.

There he stood, all in black except for the silver of his gun, pointed directly at me. Those crimson eyes were hard and cold, and the gun was level and steady. It was practiced, heartless, as routine as brushing his teeth. There was no surprise on his face, not a shred of upset. His scent shouldn't have been there, and I had been too lazy to realize that. It was probably part of his plan all along. A whimper conflicted with a growl as my fur bristled, and my ears were laid back, both out of confusion, upset, and anger. There was no doubt in my mind that I was what he had been Hunting, ever since he came to Boston. The museum, and then here, slowing earning my trust, my affection… The decrease in local Hunter activity, they must have had all their eggs in his basket… It all made so much sense now.

Yami Minamoto—if that was even his real name, and I had no guarantee it was—was a Hunter.

**Closer: And so ends as slowly but surely all our Hunters are being found out... But what is Atem up to? *secretly smiles* You'll see...  
**

**Translations:**

**NONE!  
**


	15. Chapter 15: Ryo

**AN: For those who care, this is my priority for a while. Expect a chapter a week till the end of February before I resume the priority list. I am FINISH THIS STORY. *glares at it***

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Fifteen: Ryo**

_**London, England**_

Scowling as I twisted the knob of the microscope, I eventually gave up trying to make it focus. The stupid things never worked right, at least not for me. What was the purpose in being able to identify cells in mitosis anyway.

"Any luck dere, petit?"

I snapped my head up and stared for a moment at my lab partner, only to remember what he meant. Blushing slightly, I shook my head. "I can't see a thing," I complained, shoving it away from and in his general direction.

"Perhaps it's dat artist brain o' yours," he drawled, pulling the microscope in front of him. he took a second to rearrange the lab sheet to the side with his pen so he could take notes while looking. I watched him fiddle with the knobs in amusement, expecting him to give up after a few seconds.

"Anaphase."

My mouth opened as I stared at him in surprise. "Say again?"

Looking up at me, the smirk on his face was one part condescending, another part affectionate, and the last I decided was one pride. "Problems hearin'?" he said politely, though I knew he was amused about him being the one in the right.

I scowled at him, but my anger was superficial. He had already scribbled down his answer, so I hurried to do the same. He worked his way through the rest of the slides with considerable more easy than I had even tried. Whenever I looked at him, the words caught in my throat as I found something about him cold and standoffish.

I wanted to say that this was new behavior, that I was surprised. It would be a lie. Bakura had pulled me out of the slump I had fallen into when… when my sister died… First sheltering me from the girls around campus, then forcing me to talk about my family and just _listening _to the stories. With each of our talks, it hurt less to remember them. He then confided that there were some emotions that never went away. He didn't elaborate what feelings he carried with him, but I always got the feeling that whatever they were, he held them in with an iron fist. Otherwise, his sanity wouldn't be still together.

But not long after I began to act like my normal self, or as close as I thought I would ever get, he became a stranger. No more chats, though he continued to shoo away the girls. At first, I thought something was wrong with his little sister, the one back in New Orleans, but he said no, she was fine. Something in his eyes told me that it wasn't the entire truth, but that it wasn't what was causing him so much grief.

The professor called us to attention, collecting the lab sheets from us as we went perilously close to the end of the class period. In all the confusion as people packed up, Bakura slipped through the door, were masses of other students were waiting for their own class. Cursing mentally at him, I scrambled to follow. I had had enough of this.

My camera bag thumped against my hip as I ran down the hallway. Damn it all, he was only two or three inches taller than me. How the hell did he already get so far ahead? I was barely at the second floor landing and I could see him already outside through the glass doors.

A lit cigarette was between his fingers, turning to ash as his attention was on the phone at his ear. He flicked in an absent gesture, not even inhaling once. As I opened the door, the wind caught the sound and I was able to tell the pitch of the speaker was female. However, the complex syllables she was speaking were gibberish in my ear.

He grunted, obviously enough of an answer to the girl on the phone. However, he looked over his shoulder and caught sight of me. "Call you back," he grumbled out, and something in his accent made my inner wolf pause, though I ignored it for now. It didn't seem important.

"Hey, you left in such a hurry," I said breathlessly. "What's up?"

"Call from _ma petite-sœur_," he answered with a sigh, showing his phone as if in proof. Vaguely, I recognized that the phone was a rather cheap, pay-as-you-go type, not at all what I would expect for him. "Saw de screen light up in class."

"Problems at home?" I asked, sure to let my concern show.

He tried to smile at me reassuringly, but I saw the anxiety in his face that countered it. "_Oui et non_," he said with a shrug. "She's made her decision, _mais_, I don' like it. Tried to talk to her out of it, _mais_, like tryin' to talk a mule." I politely laughed a little. It made his smile a little more genuine. "Like _sa frère_, I 'spose."

"You aren't that bad," I immediately assured him.

His expression looked surprise for a second, and this time I couldn't ignore it. "You meant a different brother?" I said, baffled. He only mentioned having a little sister before…

He made a face before looking down at his phone. "_Ma famille_… We're complicated, ya know? I gotta go, _mon ami_, I'll see be seein' ya."

"Wait," I called out trying to walk with him, but his strides seemed to take two of mine in length and he was much faster. I stopped at the curb as he darted across the street, not even glancing at traffic, before somehow blending into the crowd, despite his shock of white hair.

_That was just plain spooky_, my inner wolf told me, and I could tell he was worried too.

_Yeah… Wish I could make him stop and just _talk _to me._

_Maybe he thinks _we _are hiding from him, and can't trust us?_

Those words were like a barb. He had a point. I hadn't told Bakura a thing about being a Moon Child, making excuses for the day after the full moon and how tired I was. How fair was that to him? I wanted all of his trust, but gave nothing in return.

My inner wolf was quiet for a moment, and then suggested quietly, _Hey Ryo? What do you say to a quick stop before the sun sets? _Something told me he was up to something sneaky, but you know what? For once, I didn't care.

* * *

I refrained from fidgeting as the elevator in the hotel slowly rose. Nothing about this place was what I had imagined for Bakura. It screamed of being meant for someone who was used to the finer things in life and wanted to travel and live in comfort, perfectly content to never have a real change in scenery. Bakura, though… He _screamed_ that the idea of putting down roots made his skin crawl. And considering the shape of his clothes and materials, he went for things that were sturdy, could last, and didn't stand out. None of that applied to this place, which was just shy of gaudy.

The door opened with a soft chime, thankfully one that didn't grate on my ears. I walked out on to the scarlet and gold carpet with the tacky pattern. It cushioned my footsteps though to near silence, which impressed me. My shoes squeaked from all the wear-and-tear I put on them, yet they hardly made a sound. However, it also set my instincts on edge. It would be hard to hear if someone came up behind me. My training insisted I retain a vigil, listening for even hint of other sounds and keeping an eye over my shoulder when I could.

I came to the room number the receptionist downstairs gave me. I raised my hand to knock, only to raise an eyebrow. The door was slightly open. Tinkering with the handle, I rolled my eyes. All the fancy decorations, and the lock malfunctions. Typical. I pushed the rest of the door open and quietly made my way inside.

The layout of the room was simple. A big main room, with a wall of windows that had a door hidden in there somewhere because the balcony outside them _looked_ accessible to my eye, the bedroom was obviously through one door, though which one I didn't know. The carpet was now a nice cream, though still thick. The entire room was monochromatic, tones of beige and cream, with the big, bulk pieces like the couches in white.

I feared if Bakura ever spilled anything.

He was standing by the windows, watching the sunset as he had the phone to his ear. Whoever was talking had obviously just finished, since he pulled it away from his ear with a sigh. I watched him stare at the screen face for a minute, before snapping it shut and tucking it in his pocket in a familiar gesture, one I'd seen him do multiple times.

"Bakura…?" I finally said softly, reluctantly breaking the silence he surrounded himself in.

His head snapped up and he stared at me as if I was a ghost. I smiled weakly and waved. Instantly, I felt like a dork. I had just waltzed in, like I should expect to be welcome at anytime, "Sorry, I was just…" I tried to explain myself.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, the Cajun accent mingling with a street-accent I was more familiar with when he spoke in his anger, shocking me. It left me unbalanced for when he suddenly looked at the window, and then back at me with a glare.

_He knew about the full moon_.

My throat felt like it was closed up as my inner wolf pointed out what my instincts had been demanding. "How do you… What are you?" I changed my question, trying to sound strong. I wasn't alpha material, I knew that, but I would bluff if I had to.

He snorted, looking up at the clock as if to confirm the time. Looking at the china surface myself, I felt my eyes grow wide. The crawling sensation on my skin wasn't nerves, it was the moon! It was a minute till six.

"You won't make it out of the hotel before six," Bakura grumbled, stomping behind me. He poked his head out the door of his room before sticking the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the front. My feet felt like they were stuck to the floor as I watched him make sure the door shut and locked this time. "That will give us some peace, till the moon sets." He caught me looking at him and misunderstood my shock, I think. "The entire building's staff is Hunter or Hunter-born, if they aren't trained," he informed me.

"You aren't Cajun at all," I accused. As soon as I had demanded what he was, he stopped trying to sound French and instead slipped into a sort of gutter-accent that I recognized from the bad parts of town when I visited them. Someone had obviously given him some more education, so it was more refined than theirs and without some of the slang, but anyone who had been born in London would hear the distinctions.

"Course not," he answered. I was surprised when he walked over to the mini-bar, opening it and reaching for the bottle of whiskey.

My throat felt thick again. "You've known all along what I am. After I thought you were pulling away because I didn't tell you…" A stabbing pain between my ribs hit me, pulling me from my numb state as it reminded me I need to shift.

He sighed and looked at me. "Go ahead," he said softly, "Don't hurt yourself. We have all night, after all."

I swallowed thickly, but let the shift take over. Soon, I was standing in front of him on four paws, watching him only slightly cautious. He was pouring his drink into a glass, ignoring the fact that a wolf was now in his room.

"This… this isn't an easy story," he said gruffly. "You'll have to excuse me, but it will be easier if I'm moderately intoxicated to tell it."

I whined, but lied down on the soft carpet, my head on my paws as I watched him drink one glass, then another.

A third was in his hand when he finally flopped down on the couch closest to me, one arm holding the glass to his forehead as the elbow rested on the back of the couch, his other hand draped over the armrest. "Start at the beginning, I supposes," he finally said on a sigh. When he opened his eyes, I could tell he wasn't here with me, not anymore. "My mother—if you can call her that—was brought her from Egypt as my father's mistress. He had visited Cairo on business, and decided to bring her back with him. A living souvenir, I suppose. That lasted till she ended up pregnant." The sardonic look on his face wasn't kind, either to her or to himself over that. It was like he took part of the blame for her.

Lying there listening wasn't going to help either of us, so I walked over and rested my head on his knee. He looked down at me, the smile gentling to one of affection. However, I knew he was still back in the past, so I let him stay there for a while.

"Raising me… She did a half-job, if you want to be generous. I'm not." Now the bitterness, and the hatred came out, and there was nothing sane about his eyes. I knew now why he needed spirits. They numbed him, just enough. Otherwise, something would be breaking right about now. "Died soon enough, not sure how to survive around here. I was in foster care for all of three weeks before I ran. No rules to too many. Not the best bloody transition to make. Ended up on the streets, part of a kid gang."

I wanted to ask questions. What was his foster home like? How old was he? What about his mother, what all had she done for him? But I could sense it was only because I _couldn't_ interrupt that he was telling me all of this now.

"Picked the wrong pocket though, one of London's best Hunters. Something about my face reminded him of Egypt. And of the bigwig Hunter family that lives there, one that had married into the leadership family the year I was born. Turns out, my mother was useful for one thing. Her family was distantly Hunter, and had maintained the bloodlines. I was only half because of her affair with my father, but it was enough, and I wasn't too old yet."

They had age limits? That was curious… I wonder how old was considered "too old" and how close Bakura came to losing this chance offered to him as well. Too close, judging by the look on his face.

"It was the same as the foster home, the Academy where they sent me. Too many damn rules for someone who had been using their own wits before. But unlike my new set of parents, the teachers had the strength to keep me there. Long enough for me to find ties, anyway." The faraway look in his eyes was of utter affection and loyalty, and part of me was… Okay, honestly, it was jealous. My inner wolf was laughing at me, and I growled at it to shut up so I could stay in the present.

"They were like twins, you know? Atem is a full two years plus older than her, but they did all the usual things. Habits I'm sure you'll get more than I do. Finishing each other's sentences, knowing what the other is thinking or feeling, even when they aren't sure themselves." His resentment over how close they were was obvious.

I felt a stab of pain at the reminder of my own recent loss. Yeah, I know exactly what he meant. Amane… She and I even had our own language growing up. I hadn't even thought at the time what our friends felt when we excluded them.

"Muyo was special, of course. Poor little thing… The similarities between her and Atem aren't strong, she had a different mother, one of your kind at that." I was shocked. A half-Hunter, half-Moon Child? Two halves at war within the same body? How was she sane? But he continued, "She was the one who grabbed me first. Another half-breed in the same generation is rarer than hen's teeth. I knew I had more in common with her. And when I started standing up for and making nice with her, Atem stopped mistrusting me and we all became friends. Close as siblings, according to the counselors."

His true family, I knew then. Muyo was the little sister he had been talking to, I was sure of it. Atem was the brother he had been referring to earlier. He was so used to already thinking about them as siblings, he hadn't _meant_ to refer to Atem but couldn't help it.

Disgust entered his expression, and I knew the story had taken another dark turn. "We all graduated, top of our classes. Everything changed after that. See, Muyo would never be considered a good Hunter, or a trusted one. She was just above filth, or that's what we were told. Atem and I… Well, we act like it now in public, so she has a little peace from the naysayers. But we always knew that she was never going to be happy, because of what she was. Even her father's name couldn't save her. Atem did what he could, but… Well, the leader can only do so much." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Yukimura or not, Muyo was cursed."

I swallowed thickly. Of course, he was connected to the Hunter-version of royalty. My bad luck insisted on it. This just made everything a little more complicated.

"Of course, Atem was now exalted, while I was just a distant cousin from a distant branch of his mother's family, not even with her last name to prove it. I had to earn my way as a top Hunter. I dare say, you've probably heard of my exploits." I nodded in agreement. Even I had heard of the Hunter Bakura and his one visit to England. He smiled, sardonic again, as he said, "I was doing pretty well for myself, till I got nabbed by one of your kind by the teeth. You know what your venom does to us?" Now I had to shake my head. "Well, let's just say I had to thank my father, or I would have died months ago."

I raised my head, staring at him in disbelief. Never getting to meet Bakura? I refused to think about it.

Obviously understanding, he lowered his hand to rub between my ears before he continued his story. "I was in rehab for a while, the venom changed what I looked like enough I was considered for this assignment. Really, it was an excuse to give Muyo a chance to interact with her own kind, possibly find herself a new place. And it gave Atem a few weeks off, which he needed more than he'll ever admit." He sighed. "But now, everything has changed…" He looked at me, and what I saw scared me. "My purpose has been to hunt your kind, Ryo. I have more blood on my hands than ten Hunters. You shouldn't matter. But you do. And now… I don't know what to do."

**Closer: For those who didn't catch it: Bakura is being sneaky as hell. I approve. And yes, if he wasn't drunk, many, MANY things would be broken right now. He was about two inches away from turning into the nutso from the series, it's that bad. Too many emotions, and he has had to find a way to deal with them. *shrugs***

**Translations:**

**Ma petite sœur—my little sister**

**Oui et non—Yes and no**

**Mais—but**

**Sa frère—her brother**

**Ma famille—my family**

**Mon ami—my friend**


	16. Chapter 16: Serenity

**AN: Yay, I'm EARLY! ^_^ This is good news. I have TONS of homework due Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday, ugh. For those who don't know (which is ALL of you), I'm literally home and awake for four hours on Monday (which are used to eat and bathe) and two for Wednesday (I don't get to bathe in the middle of the week o_o). So… Yeah, I'm busy. I'm glad to finish this early. I'll get a jump on next week's tomorrow night. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Sixteen: Serenity**

_**Sydney, Australia**_

"Hello?"

I watched from the side as Duke answered his phone, crossing my arms as I waited. My throat fell thick. What had he been about to say? It seemed so important, right now. He had been so understanding, and I could tell from the pain in his scent when I had been in my wolf form that seeing me like this had been so hard for him… I suspected for the last couple weeks his feelings for me had been stronger than friendship, or at least hoped so with the way mine were changing. And now, I discovered that due to our families, he was destined to kill—

"They _what?_"

His sharp cry brought me to the present with a jump and wide eyes.

"There's no way they would—It makes no sense for them to! …Yes, but—But—" Duke kept being cut off as he tried to hold a conversation with the person on the other side of the line. I shifted my weight as he suddenly collapsed in on himself. I had never seen him give up before… He said softly, "Orders understood." I heard the click of the phone as it was closed before he tucked it away in his pocket. "Damn," he cussed, and I shifted my weight again, even more anxious than before.

When he was silent for a while, I finally blurted out, "What's wrong?"

His head snapped so it was facing my direction, so I assumed he was now looking at me. His hand was already in his bangs, so I knew he was frustrated. "Our leader. Atem Yukimura. And his half-breed half-sister and the Egyptian thief they picked up at the Academy. They all deflected," he spat out.

I sniffed the air cautiously, and was surprised by what his scent was. Not really anger, just shock. "What does that mean? For you?" I hurriedly added the last, though inside I was in knots. Was he now going to kill me? Was he just going to… I bit off that though physically by sinking my teeth into my lower lip. For some reason, the idea of him _leaving_ scared me more than actually dying.

Thankfully, even I could tell he was shaking his head negatively. "I… I don't really know," he said softly. "A member of our council and one of the branch leaders of the Yukimura family has taken over, but that won't last. He's call all of us who went undercover home. I…" The doubt I never thought I would see the prideful boy show entered his tone. "I could do what those other three did…"

Barely, I refrained from reacting to that. It wouldn't have been kind or polite or any of the other sort of things I was supposed to be. Leave his family behind? Leave everything he knew? Leave his perfectly laid out future to try to figure out a plan on his own?

Yeah right.

Just because the planned-out life felt like a trap to me, didn't mean Duke didn't have a loving family that he wanted to return to. Oh, for all I knew he had a wonderful Hunter girlfriend waiting for him. It took work to keep my face from becoming stony in the silence that stretched out between him. Yeah, a girlfriend, blonde and tall and everything he could ever want, someone who pleased his parents more than…. More than a _mutt_ ever could.

"I'll let you figure things out then," I finally told him with a bright smile I didn't really feel. Turning on my heel, I hurriedly walked away. Only when I was safely out of sight did I turn into my wolf form and begin to run back to the estate.

_We could have told him what we felt_, my inner wolf pointed out, her voice quiet and submissive.

_For what purpose? _I snapped back, not in the mood. My suppressed tears were quickly turning to anger. _He has a family waiting for him, people who love him. His entire life waiting for him._

_Family is family, _she agreed, _but I've never heard him talk about them, so neither have you. How close can they really be? And having your life planned out doesn't always equal good things… Life is suppose to be fluid._

_You're saying that because _I _want to run away._

_I'm saying it because I'm right._

I pointedly ignored it so I could hurry back before someone noticed I was missing. No one looked twice at a brown wolf entering the house, they probably thought I was just a random wolf. Not until I got up the stairs did I shift back to my human shape, hurrying down the hall and subconsciously counting doors till I reached my room.

My room. That was almost funny, if it wasn't so sad. I didn't pick out any of the furniture or decorations. I had some say in the paintings that were hanging on the walls, the ones I couldn't see anymore, but otherwise the only personal touches were the books in the shelves. I even had to hide my old bear, or else my grandfather would have it thrown out. He said I was too old for it anymore. Right now, I needed the familiarity of it. Jumping on to the bed on my stomach, it let me reach under the bed for the shoebox I kept there. Grandfather thought it was just my savings of spending money, and the servants never told him otherwise. I kept my room clean in return for them keeping my secret.

Don't get me wrong, there was a good chunk of change in the old Nike box. But it was all underneath Mr. Snuggles. Pulling him out, I absently tugged at the bright red ribbon around his neck, his soft white fur immaculately clean thanks to the care of my nanny when I was little. The first tear fell from my eyes, and I immediately tugged Mr. Snuggles into my arms, sitting up on the bed. My knees slowly pulled up to my chest as I hid my face in the bear's fur, letting it absorb the salty, wet smell of my tears and most of my sobs.

I didn't notice when the door softly creaked open, then shut.

"Serenity?" the soft voice of my mother entered my ears as I felt the bed sink under her weight next to me. She reached over and wrapped one arm delicately around my shoulders. "Serenity, dear… Why are you crying?"

Not "What's wrong?"… Not "It's going to be alright, I promise,"… No, she asked me why I was crying. I wasn't supposed to cry.

"_You know, you're the best liar I've ever met."_

"_I beg pardon?" I said in shock, staring wide-eyed at the blurry figure of Duke next to me, my sandwich only half-way to my mouth. We were in the middle of lunch when he pointed this out to me, completely out of the blue._

_His tone was only slightly joking when he replied. "You always smile, like everything is sunshine and roses in the world. You don't let out the anger you ever feel, the sadness. Makes people who know doubt your sincerity when you truly are happy." I felt his eyes on me, and suddenly I felt uneasy as I wondered what he saw…_

I snapped at the memory.

"Why?" I spat out, raising my head to glare at the blur figure. "Because someone I care about is leaving. Because I am so emotionally messed up I can't even tell him how I feel about him. Because I am so _screwed up_ by this political party that _pretends _to be a family, I can't cry and beg him to stay here with me, or to take me with him. Because God only knows, he is _leaving _this hell, and I can only _wish _I could do the same." My voice broke multiple time as I finally vented the words I had been chewing on most of my life.

My mother was unnaturally still. I think she was staring at me. Finally, she said softly, "Then why don't you go?" I recognized her chiding me, and I knew why. She always pushed, pushed, pushed me to be better than her, to be as perfect as possible.

And that meant having the strength to take what I wanted.

Stealing my spine, I straightened up and put Mr. Snuggles to the side. Sliding out from under her arm, I paused only for a moment beside my bed before I took off at a run down the hall, breaking the rules that said no one should go faster than a really quick walk indoors.

* * *

My feet were so tired by the time I reached the condominium. The elevator was spooky, no comforting walls to judge distances. It made my legs shake even harder. I hadn't stopped running the entire time, my mind a blur. I couldn't believe I had said that to my mother.

_Long time coming._

I couldn't believe she actually told me to _go._

_She always wants the fewest bumps possible. Us being gone is good._

Now, all I could think of was Duke.

This time, all she did was croon happily, glad I was finally paying attention to what she had been pointing out to me for weeks.

The elevator's stop was gentle, thankfully. Or my legs would have collapsed. Hurriedly, I darted down the hall. I had to squint to read the numbers. I barely remembered it, from the two or three times I visited. Once there, I knocked on the door furiously, leaning against the solid frame to catch my breath as I desperately listened. When I didn't hear anything after a few frantic heartbeats, I knocked again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I heard him yell, the sound muffled. I could have broken down in relief. He hadn't left yet. I had made it in time. Tears in relief began to fall, quickly turning into desperate sobs. The door open and I almost fell through it. "Serenity!" he said in obvious surprise, catching me against his chest.

My breathing hitched as I finally choked out, "Please, don't go."

He was silent for a moment, and I felt his hands change from just holding me up to also comforting me. I barely recognized the difference. "Shh…" he breathed softly, resting his chin on top of my head. "It's alright, everything is alright."

My tears only fell harder, the difference between his reaction and my mother's almost painful.

We stood that way for so long, and finally, I repeated my request, "Please, don't go. I… I can't be without you. Please." He was my only source of anchor now. All I knew was falling in line with my family's demands, to being what they wanted. I didn't… I didn't know how to do what I wanted. I needed him, both because he would push me to make decisions, and because my heart would break without him.

I sensed his smile, rather than seeing or feeling it. "I wasn't going to leave," he told me, his voice nothing but honest, "Not without you."

He helped me stand up on my own two feet, though I refused to leave his arms. "Come inside, we'll… figure out the next step," he said, and I could tell he was just as lost as I was.

A pure, carefully bred Hunter who refused to hunt one wolf, and now had to figure out a new way to live, and a blind Moon Child who had just defied her entire family. What were we going to do?

I tightened my arms around Duke, and he did the same. We had each other, at least. My inner wolf bolstered my confidence as well. We would find our way. Our own way.

**Closer: …Yeah, I know. It's a little short. It's supposed to be. I gave up with these two a long time ago. I'm writing their epilogue and washing my hands of them. I told their story, that's enough for them, yes?**

**Translations:**

**NONE!**


	17. Chapter 17: Muyo

**AN: …I had three snow days in a row. This is the second day, I have tomorrow too. -_- Whether or not I get to work on anything tomorrow is going to be based on whether or not I can move my car to go to work tomorrow… My money is on me not being able to go to work at the moment, my apartment complex hasn't done a thing to clean it out and I'm afraid to drive on snow/ice too much.**

**And as an author shout-out, thanks to EVERYONE faving the story and putting me on alerts. That being said… Could someone drop me ONE review for this chapter? Please? It's been so long since I got a review for Wolf's Moon, I'm wondering who all is even READING this anymore… (Mind you, I'm finishing it regardless, I'm just saying, a note would be nice.) Thank you, last you'll hear from me on this.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Seventeen: Muyo**

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

Staring out the small window in my bedroom, I leaned my cheek against the glass. It was chilled, and sent goose-bumps down my arms and back, despite the fact I was wearing two shirts. With a shudder, I tugged at the long sleeves of the under-shirt, but didn't move my head. My mind was still in the memories of today's early morning conversation…

_Yawning as I woke from the quick catnap I had grabbed between moonrise and seven-thirty, my feet and pure habit took over. My stocking feet barely made a noise on the tiles as I entered the kitchen. Both mine and Rebecca's furoshiki were on the counter, and our bento were on the drying rack. Thank Saya the little girl had listened for a change and washed those last night. Dried rice was not fun to try to scrape off first thing in the morning…_

_Mokuba had told me I had full-kitchen access before all three of us crashed, so I had no fear as I tied up my hair in a haphazard twist with a claw before getting to work. My nose involuntarily wrinkled when I opened the fridge. I suspect Shizuka or Suzuki came over and cooked easy-to-heat-up meals for the boys once a week so they would starve. Rolling my eyes at the typical bachelor stock, I made due for Rebecca and me, as well as the Kaiba brothers._

_A hunt through the cabinets revealed, rather than a bento about the size of Rebecca's, a much larger one meant for sharing, and rarely used from the look of it. A pair of bowls and two sets of chopsticks were stored inside. My brain was already working, and I set it all with Rebecca's box and mine._

_I heard eager footsteps running down the stairs just as I poured batter on the griddle I found. My nose told me who it was without looking. "_Ohayo_, Mokuba-kun," I greeted without turning my head, "Would you mind fixing a glass of milk for Rebecca and whatever you want to drink? I'm just finishing up."_

"Ohayo, Onee-sama,_" he greeted, and I felt him come over to my elbow. Glancing down as I set aside the excess batter, I saw his nose twitch. "What are you making?"_

"_Blueberry pancakes and sausage," I replied as I gestured to where sausage links were sizzling._

"_We had blueberries?" he replied, baffled. I paused in the middle of scattering the fruit into the batter before flipping the cakes. Somehow, I was surprised. Shaking my head, I pointed to the table with the spatula, and with a laugh he took off to do as I asked him before. I turned back to the food with a slight smile._

_I rolled my eyes when I saw him bouncing in his seat at the table as I brought the platters over. On my second trip to the table with a can of whip cream and a bottle of syrup, I didn't hesitate to whap the back of his hand holding the fork to grab pancakes. When he whined and held stinging fingers in his mouth, I just quirked a brow. With a glance at the clock, I said, "Go get your brother, I'll wake up Rebecca. No eating without them." Both of my brows raised in a silent, "got it?" but he was already nodding and eagerly sliding off the chair. Looking upward as if praying, I shook my head and took off after him for the stairs._

Aww, you know you like chasing the pup around, _my inner wolf chastised._

He has way too much energy, _I shot back, but with a smile as we parted paths to wake our respective "siblings."_

Better watch his syrup intake today then.

_I wrinkled my nose at the reminder of Mokuba on a sugar high. I didn't like syrup anyway, but Rebecca refused to eat pancakes without it, so I had to include it on the table or watch her go hungry. Yeah, I would be keeping an eye on both of them and how much of that gunk they used._

_Rebecca was her typical self upon waking. I had to remind her that unless she was comfortable walking around in her pjs to dress first. My clothes, which worked for shifting, sleeping, and lounging around, didn't bother me, but I could tell from the expression on her face she wanted to be in her uniform rather than let either male see her like she was now._

_Chuckling at the typical girly girl reaction that I had gotten used to from her, I walked sedately back downstairs. I didn't catch a fresh trail with my nose, so Mokuba must still be working on Kaiba. I couldn't help the snicker at the idea that the young CEO had trouble waking up in the morning. Onii-sama was the exact same way. Rather than take the risk that Kaiba didn't have the other habit as him, I poured a cup of coffee the way he preferred it. Unlike everything else for breakfast, the coffee was not one of my efforts; Kaiba had a machine on a timer._

_I helped myself to a cup, adding a chunk of dark chocolate I found in the fridge to help with the burnt taste that all coffee held for me. Normally, I stuck with tea, if I took anything at all besides water in the morning. However, first day after the full moon? I needed the caffeinated help to make it through the day._

"_Drink too much of that and you'll never grow any taller."_

_I rolled my eyes as I pointedly took another sip of my coffee and handed Kaiba his at the same time. "You aren't the first to say so," I drawled before watching both kids impatiently take seats at the table. It was the truth; Bakura and Onii-sama used to tease me if I drank too much coffee I would actually start shrinking. I wasn't the tallest female, petite perhaps, and I had always been that way. You just get used to being short._

_He simply raised an eyebrow at me, but accepted the coffee. I smiled back at him cheekily before joining the two children. Kaiba was much slower, but I think he was amused by the fact I stubbornly refused to let anyone eat until he joined us._

"_This is so much better than cold cereal," Mokuba muttered as he eagerly cut into his pancakes. I gave Kaiba an accusing look, and he had the intelligence to look a little sheepish. The pup and human girl were the most animated at the table, Kaiba and I both choosing to be quiet to gather our thoughts and try to finish waking up._

"_Don't bother coming into the office today."_

_Startled, I raised my head from where I was dazedly staring at my plate. "What?" I asked dumbly, unable to comprehend what he was saying._

_He was completely unruffled, of course. "You only scheduled a minor meeting this afternoon. Akira and I can handle it."_

_I opened my mouth, full of resentment and prepared to let him hear it._

Wait, Muyo!

_Shutting my mouth, I scowled and growled at my inner wolf._

_She obviously didn't care, she plowed right on ahead, _He's giving you a chance to rest after last night. He saw how much it hurt!

_The scowl faded from my face as I finally listened to reason. She was right, wasn't she? He was trying to do a good thing. Okay, so he was a bit of a jerk about the whole thing. The last few weeks, I had learned how to translate "Kaiba speak" into normal people speak. This wasn't the first time my temper had almost had me snapping at him before I had time to think about what he actually meant versus what came out of his mouth._

_Honestly, you would think _his _inner wolf would stop him from sticking his foot in it occasionally…_

"_Thank you," I finally replied politely, before standing and beginning to clean up the mess I had left in the kitchen. I felt Kaiba watching me, but I refused to turn around and ask him WHAT he was staring at._

"_Onee-san!" I twisted my head as Rebecca tugged on my shirt hem to get my attention. "Mokuba-kun says he can give me a ride to school today, so you can take your time getting home." Her eyes were worried, and I was touched by the concern. This wasn't the first time I had driven after the full moon, but I was willing to cater to her anxiety._

_I reached down and gently patted her on the head, being careful not to ruin her pigtails or risk her wrath. "I'll take my time getting home then," I assured her, and she beamed at me. Looking to the sheepish Mokuba, I smiled at him as well. "_Arigato_, Mokuba-kun." A glance at the clock had me adding, "If you hurry and change, I can have a surprise for you before you leave."_

_He beamed at me and did as I said. I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm._

"_Can I help with the bento?"_

_Looking down at Rebecca in surprise—this was the first time she ever offered to help—I blinked but nodded. "Sure," I agreed. Kaiba's eyebrows lifted when I had her bring only hers and my bento to me. I filled them identically, and packed them carefully. As for the group bento, I left it empty and slid it into a large furoshiki I found for it._

_Mokuba's rapid footstep caught my attention, and I grinned as I caught sight of him, only to wince in sympathy. "Come here," I beckoned with a mock put-upon sigh. Tilting his head to the side, he agreeably walked over. I grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around by force till he was facing away from me._

"_Onee-sama?" he questioned, trying to twist his head to look at me. Instead, my hands made him face forward._

"_Be still," I gently admonished before pulling out the hair tie he had wrapped around the haphazard ponytail of his dark hair. It was unruly, to put it mildly, but some gently tugging had it in much better shape when I finally clapped him on the shoulder to indicate I was done. "There, now your teacher won't scold you for looking sloppy," I teased, having heard his complaints about such write-ups before._

_He stuck his tongue out at me in reply, but I could tell he was relieved. He soon watched in astonishment as I handed him my bento. "Your own chopsticks are in here," I told him, pointedly misinterpreting his expression, "Just make sure you wash it and bring it back to me tomorrow, okay?" When his eyes looked a little damp, I added softly, "And if you want, I can just keep making them for you, and Rebecca will give it to you when you see here in the morning."_

_Mokuba looked up at me for only a moment before his arms were snugly wrapped around my waist, almost knocking me over with the force of his hug. I was visibly started for a moment, but then I returned the affection, wrapping my arms loosely around his shoulders. I wasn't used to affection, but… Well, I found myself growing attached to this little boy, despite all my Hunter's training that reminded me that if I got trapped, I was supposed to be able to easily kill him and his brother both if I needed to._

_My inner wolf snorted at the reminder of my training, making it clear her thoughts on the matter. I resisted the urge to smile. Instead, I gave Mokuba a gentle push. "Go on, the pair of you are going to be late," I scolded and he beamed at me before hurriedly leaving._

_I expected the silence in the kitchen to grow tense when the door shut, but instead it was comfortable. Probably because we were used to being in the same space at work… I finished my coffee and returned to cleaning the mess leftover from breakfast._

"_Leave it."_

_Twisting my head, I regarded Kaiba curiously, only to freeze. He had my phone in his hand. And damn Bakura refused to follow protocol when it came to leaving messages._

_Either he didn't notice my new body posture or ignored it. He left the phone on the table before he stood, coffee in hand. I had a feeling he would finish the cup just to fall back into bed. He drank enough of it at work that I didn't doubt he was used to sleeping only a few hours, but there were limits it seemed, and only an hour and a half of sleep was one of them._

_I barely waited him to leave before I frantically grabbed the phone. The light was blinking, indicating I had a missed message. Flipping it open with a frown, I discovered that I also had voicemail waiting, from Onii-sama. It would have to wait till I was home…_

My phone was on the window sill now, where I had just hung up on Onii-sama. Apparently, he had been making plans for the last _month _without telling me. He was setting into motion our back plan, but for the reason we had made it. He wanted me to have freedom of choice, but at the same time… He was thinking about more than just me and him, but about the balance of life in the cycle of the Moon's Children and the Hunters.

So, I did my duty.

A flash of bright pink caught my attention. The sky was barely drizzling, but Rebecca had her umbrella up already, the neon pink with highlighter-green flowers all over it eye catching to those looking down. My lips tried to quirk up in a smile, even though my heart wasn't in it.

"Maeko-onee-san!" a voice cried, and I softly replied. I heard footsteps coming down the hall, and tensed. Sure enough, it came. "MY ROOM!" I cringed, the high-pitched scream hurting my ears. I was too sensitive after the full moon, always was.

Reluctantly, I stepped away from the window and walked to the small bedroom across the hall from mine that had been Rebecca's the past few months. The little girl was standing in the middle of her room, staring at the emptiness in disbelief. "Where is all my stuff?" she demanded when she caught sight of me in the doorway.

"Back in Kyoto," I replied softly, "Or on its way to those we borrowed it from."

"Why?" she asked, and I could tell that fear was hidden in her bossy tone.

I looked blankly at the wall across from the door, trying to think of how best to answer her. "Things have varied from the original plan," I finally replied, "The danger level has grown beyond what I am comfortable with you staying here."

"But I'm a Hunter too!" she said defiantly, but I was shaking my head.

"It isn't about that anymore," I said, and my tone carried that the subject was closed. She stared at me, and I knew her arguing was over. "Your train leaves soon, come on," I said with a jerk of my head. "I'll drive you to the station." It wasn't too far out of my way.

Later, as I was riding my bike towards Kaiba Corp's main office after I watched her train leave, I remembered her final words as she was boarding her train.

"_You know, you'll make an amazing mom some day! I… I really gained a lot from what you did for me!"_

Those words made me determined to stay in contact with the orphaned little girl who only had her grandfather to depend on. I knew how it felt to be a stray; I saw no reason why I couldn't keep someone else from constantly feeling alone…

* * *

The elevator felt familiar, even if I wasn't in the usual clothes of "Mizuno Maeko," but instead in the casual, slightly punk clothes I wore as myself when walking around Kyoto. I hadn't bothered changing out of my riding clothes, not wanting to take the extra effort. All the leather and my hair which most mistook for dyed often got me dirty looks. Not that it ever affected me. I got dirty looks at home just for existing, people I didn't even know had nothing on my fellow Hunters.

Akira was sitting at her desk when I walked in, and I could tell I took her by surprise. "Maeko-chan?" she questioned, obviously confused by my appearance, both physical and being present. "I thought you had the day off?"

"I needed to talk to Kaiba-san," I replied, pointedly not using the correct honorific. She stared at me, but didn't stop me as I walked towards the door. I paused before opening his door, and with a prod from inner wolf, added over my shoulder to her. "And it's Muyo, Akira-chan."

I opened the door and closed it behind me, being careful to turn the lock first.

"Useless, huh? Can't say I can entirely agree with that, as much as you annoy me."

My eyes clenched shut at Kaiba's casual comment. However, I forced myself to turn around and walk towards him where he was still typing at his computer. "My step-mother didn't agree with you," I said coldly.

Something in my tone made him finally focus on me. "What are you even doing here?" he demanded, "I gave you the day off."

Clenching my hands, I forced down the reflex to raise my chin defiantly. Instead, I tucked it down, refusing to make eye contact. "I'm a loner," I replied, "By birth. I don't want… I can't be that way anymore."

There was silence for a moment. I could practically hear Kaiba's mental wheels turning, desperate to catch traction as he tried to figure out what I was saying. "You realize what it would mean?" he finally half-growled.

I forced my head to nod. I did. My will wouldn't be Onii-sama's anymore, it would Kaiba's. I would be a member of not only the Western Pack, but of his personal pack until he chose to drive me away, dishonored and no longer able to be part of any pack until he gave permission. Not only that, but… There was no way to know what his venom would do to me, though he didn't realize this part. After what happened to Bakura, where it was entirely HUMAN blood that saved him… There was no saying what was going to happen when strange venom entered my already chaotic blood.

However, I had to do what Onii-sama wanted.

I stood stock still as Kaiba slowly stood up from his desk and walked towards me. Not raising my head despite the urge to remain defensive, I listened sharply as he stopped behind me. When one of his hands reached up to cup my cheek, I leaned my head into it, not out of affection—despite what my inner wolf snorted—but instead out of submission, baring my throat to him.

His fangs scraped my skin once, hesitating. My eyes clenched shut as I braced myself for what was to come, as they sank in easily.

It burned. Oh, Saya, it _burned._ My shifts were worse, but the strange venom running through my system still had me whimpering in misery.

I knew when the memories in my blood reached him, because he immediately shoved me to the ground. Rather than fight, I stayed down, reaching up to press a hand to my still bleeding neck. My mind was fuzzy with pain, but I refused to look up and see the expression on his face as he realized exactly what I was.

"Why?"

**Closer: RETURN OF THE IMFAMOUS WHY! Those who have read this before the rewrite, you are FINALLY going to get satisfaction for this question when we get around to Kaiba! And for those who might be confused, "muyō" in Japanese literally translates to "useless." More on this later, through Kaiba's point of view. ^_^**

**Saya is the name of the first Hunter, and the ancestress of them all.**

**For those who are curious: Hunters are VERY PARTICULAR about breeding. You are a half-Hunter if you have one human parent, one Hunter parent, or one Hunter parent and another parent that isn't full Hunter themselves, but does have SOME Hunter blood. Less than half and you aren't considered part of the bloodlines anymore. Why? Because once the blood is diluted that much, they no longer have the special abilities of the clans, such as, you know, being able to see the gems that mark the werewolves. So maintaining the bloodlines=very important! And that's why Bakura was STUPIDLY lucky.**

**Translations:**

**Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City (I know, canon says it's most likely a Tokyo suburb, but I needed it more south!)**

**Bento—box lunches, or the boxes the lunches are in**

**Furoshiki—cloth bags used to carry bento**

**Ohayo—Good morning**

**-kun—honorific applied to the names of boys, one of familiarity and usually for those of the same age or younger; is usually considered cutesy when applied to teens**

**Onee-sama—big sister**

**Onii-sama—big brother**

**Onee-san—big sister, less formal**

**Arigato—thank you**

**-chan—cutesy name for children and adolescent girls, and in the case of Akira and Muyo, one of affection between two female people  
**

**-san—honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…**


	18. Chapter 18: Atem

**AN: I know, I know. Two updates in one week? Just be prepared to cuss at me when it takes me ages to get the epilogue out, I have a short story to finish once I finish the chapter after the next…**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Eighteen: Atem**

_**Boston, Massachusetts**_

I could see the terror in his face. Years of experience with Muyo had taught me how to read wolf-emotions. "My name is Atem Yukimura," I told him, keeping my voice soft. "And for the last seven years, I have been the leader of the Hunters, based in Kyoto." The fur on his back began to rise as I threatened him, but I held it for a moment longer. Finally, I raised the gun so it was no longer pointing towards him. Raising my other hand, I gave it a twist, so he could see that it was completely empty.

He was confused, and I let my cold, Hunting mask fall to smile at him reluctantly as I placed my gun down. "My first real field-hunt since my graduation from the Academy, and I follow my father's footsteps," I mused out loud. I was completely unarmed, now. My trust in Yugi would have to hold true. "What a disgrace I must be…"

The large wolf hadn't relaxed from where it stood in the doorway. I pointedly forced my body to stay lax in the chair I sat in, refusing to be as tense as he was. There was no danger, and if there was, it was probably nothing less than I deserved. "I came here, originally, to find a way to end the war between our kind. Whether that was going to be by having the Hunters, including me, killing every primary Alpha of each pack, or by somehow reaching peace, I didn't know. Now I do."

The sun peaked over the horizon, judging from the light coming from the window. Yugi took the chance to change into his human shape. He stood defensively in front of me. A part of me coolly noted that unlike Muyo, he was able to wear something besides wool when he shifted, judging by his clothes. "What did you decide?" he asked, looking prepared to run at the wrong answer.

It hurt my heart.

"Peace," I replied softly. "I am not armed, Yugi. I've told every Hunter in the area to stand down until further notice. I've called a full council meeting in two weeks, where I am going to initiate peace talks so we can finally put an end to the bloodshed." My eyes drifted shut as my heart reminded me of another burden. "I am sacrificing my little sister for this peace, so that if there is ever another like her, they won't have to suffer as she has." I opened my eyes and met his flatly. "Muyo is my half-sister, Yugi. She's only half-Hunter. Her other blood… It's your people's."

I could tell my confession startled him. His defensiveness fell. My affection for Muyo had always been plain to him, as had my protectiveness of her. My willingness to put her in harm's way was perhaps the biggest indicator that I wasn't lying to him. And perhaps the fact I loved her, even with her impure blood, reassured him that I was serious about not wanting more wolf blood spilled.

He stared at me blankly, and I worried that even if he didn't kill me, he was going to tell me to leave and never come back. I had given up everything, I couldn't turn back now, only go forward. What forward was going to be if he turned away from me, I didn't know. Only that I would be more lonely than I have ever been before, this time without even my fellow Hunters to turn to.

So deep in my melancholy, I missed the expression changing on Yugi's face. All I knew was one minute I was trying to control my hurt, the next I had my arms full of teenage boy, his arms firm around me. "I'm still mad at you," he said into my shirt as I looked down at him, startled. However, when he looked up at me, his amethyst eyes were filled with mischief. "But I love you, so I suppose I can forgive you."

Slowly, I felt a smile cross my face. However, Yugi frowned at me and reached up towards my face. Startled, I blinked as his thump swiped under my eye, only to realize my lashes were wet. "Yam—Atem?" he questioned, correcting himself.

"Just relieved," I assured him, reaching up and twining my fingers with his. He beamed at me, before tugging me forward. Slightly baffled, I went along with it.

Minutes later, I was laying on my back, with Yugi snuggled next to me, his hair tickling my nose from where his head was tucked under mine. I hugged him close, my eyes sliding half-closed. He had his own scent, of leather and the spices I knew he liked in his food, but there was something under all that that reminded me of Muyo, despite the fact she wore lavender perfume and smelled of her ever-present wool. It made me relax, reminding me of family, and my childhood when Muyo used to climb into my bed whenever something frightened her and Mother wasn't around to scold her.

"This doesn't get you out of talking."

The sleepy murmur startled me for a moment, but then I chuckled under my breath. "What do you want to know?" I asked, rubbing his back thoughtfully. If he was anything like Muyo, he would be out like a light in half an hour, if not sooner.

"Tell me about Muyo," he demanded, though there was little heart in it. "She's your half-sister, you said?"

I flinched at the sensitive topic like he poked at an open wound. In a way, he did. "My father…" I started, only to pause. Was this the best way to start? I suppose it was… "He was given a solo assignment, not long after he married my mother. The job was simple, to pick off some of the Crawford pack." I felt Yugi tense under me, and I rubbed his back again. That's what made talking so hard, I knew he wasn't going to like all of this. "He saw one of them in her human form, and wasn't able to kill her. They met again, months later, and began to have a secret affair."

"But Muyo is younger," Yugi protested, and I felt my lips twitch into a smile.

"She is. My mother had me first, and it was years later before the she-wolf had Muyo." I frowned, trying to remember Muyo's mother. I only saw her for a little while… What stood out to me were her eyes. They were the same bright blue as Muyo's, though hers had been full of unspeakable pain, desperate for death. The rest of her had been so emaciated that I shied away from the memories. "It was a few years even after that before it was finally discovered that they were in a relationship, and there was a child."

"What happened to them?"

Reflexively, I flinched again. He felt it this time, and didn't press me to answer. He paused, but then asked a completely unrelated question, "Do you know what made the Hunters start coming after us? Moon Children, I mean."

That one took me a minute to answer. I had to recall all the lore, and what fractured history records we had left. "It was in ancient Egypt," I began slowly, making sure I had the details right as best as I could remember. "It began with the Huntress Saya. She was betrayed, or threatened, or somehow harmed by a wolf, the records are vague. Well, she married another who felt the same way, and the pair of them began to hunt your kind. They also had children, who all of the current Hunters are descendents of. She somehow gave them the ability to see the gems your kind have, so they could not kill humans in the process." Shaking my head, I sighed, "That's all I know, besides that apparently the main family is the only true direct-descendents. We don't marry half-Hunters, only pure, so our blood has taken the least damage over the years. Which family that is keeps changing, but for the last few generations it has been in Kyoto."

"You, now," he unnecessarily added, and I nodded to confirm. I felt him pause before asking, "What was it like? Like being Alpha?"

"Something like it, I suppose," I replied with a sigh. "Taxing. When I'm not keeping everything running, I'm having to answer to the council. I'm not…blood thirsty, I suppose is the best way of saying it. They aren't either, but they aren't sure what else to do besides demand more heads."

"That's why you want peace so badly… You know it would solve most of your problems."

"And yours," I added, giving him a gently shove with my shoulder. "I just… I think we would work better _together_ than apart."

Yugi seemed to think about that for a moment. As the Alpha of a pack that had managed to avoid major conflict for generations, I was trusting on him to find another purpose for the Hunters. It was the only way this was going to work…

"There's the rogues, I suppose," he finally mused out loud before yawning.

"Rogues?" I repeated, not sure what that meant.

"Yeah, those that refuse to follow world-laws. No harming humans, blend in, all that," he replied with a far-too-casual shrug for what he was saying to me. "You all have been picking them off for us occasionally anyway, it would be easier for all of us if we could just give you the information and let you do it for us, instead of it being a local alpha's hassle."

Something told me there was more to this story, but judging by the fact he yawned again, I knew I was keeping him up. I let my questions end, and sure enough, his own mind was too muggy to reply. With a smile, I leaned down to gently brush my lips against his forehead. There would be plenty of time for more talk in the morning, as well as a chance to properly assure him.

I started to pull myself out of Yugi's grip, determined to let him sleep till he had to wake up. However, his hands suddenly fisted in my shirt, and I looked down to see sleep-clouded eyes. "Don't go running off, I just got warm," he protested in a mumble. Swallowing down a laugh, I agreeably settled back down again. I was surprised, though, when he raised his head and gently kissed me.

It was innocent and sweet, like I expected of Yugi, but at the same time it gave me the feeling of being drunk, giddy and slightly confused. I looked down at him, my mouth partly open to ask what that was about.

However, judging from the slightly smug smile on his face, I think already knew. Chuckling, I made sure I was firmly wrapped around him, to share my warmth of course. The little Alpha was sneakier then any of the Hunter appraisers gave him credit for… He was going to keep me on my toes.

Muyo was going to crack up laughing when she found out about this.

**Closer: Okay, a little short, but they were NOT cooperating. Yugi wanted SLEEP, Atem was willing to give it to him. *sighs* I had to just go, "Screw it, I'm not forcing them." They are the innocent couple anyway, Atem still has one foot in the closet, as it were. I hope this satisfies you all. We're on to wrapping up Couple #3!**

**Translations:**

**NONE!**


	19. Chapter 19: Bakura

**AN: …This is going to be ridiculously short. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry this is already out, I honestly went through so much homework due to this snow week, I had nothing else to do.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Nineteen: Bakura**

_**London, England**_

I tapped my fingers as I glared at my computer screen. Damn it, Muyo promised she would send an e-mail once she dealt with Kaiba, back during the full moon. Where was it? If that bastard had the gall to kill her, I'll—

_Calm down, _the voice in my head scolded, _She may just be busy!_

_Too busy to send me a five word e-mail to assure me she's alive?_ I questioned sarcastically, glaring at my screen like I wished I could glare at it, which was way too calm about this.

_You are more of the over-protective brother than Atem._

_And damn proud of it._

It snorted at me before quieting back down again. I could tell I hadn't fooled it for a minute about what I was _really _anxious about. Curs'd thing, eavesdropping on my emotions all the time… A wave of disgust came my way form my inner wolf, and I shot back my annoyance at it. I didn't care if it didn't see it as eavesdropping, it bloody-well was!

It wasn't in the mood to agreeably bicker with me. _Would you just call the boy?_ it griped, _Honestly, it would take all of five minutes, and you would _know_ rather than sitting here fretting yourself to death._

This time, I snorted at it, not wanting to tell it why I wasn't doing what it said. It would make too much sense for me to just pick up my cell and call Ryo, Saya knows I have his number. That easy, and I would be able to hear his voice and try to judge whether he was avoiding me or just busy.

But… But _damn it all_, I wanted him to be the one to reach out to me! I had spilled my guts, admittedly being intoxicated to do so, and then the next morning walked him out of the hotel to make sure he didn't die. The ball was in his court, right? He should have called me already, it had been days…

_What if he doesn't want to talk to us?_

I growled, not even shocked by the animalistic sound leaving my throat. I didn't want to think about what he thought of me if he didn't want to talk to me. I didn't want to think about what I was going to have to do…

My inner wolf picked up on those thoughts. _You aren't seriously going to go back to the Hunters? You won't have Atem or Muyo there to make it worth it!_

_No… They won't be. But I'll have purpose._ Honestly, I didn't think that it would understand what I meant. It was something that was difficult to explain to others, those who hadn't been right there with me from foster homes to the street to the Hunters' Academy. It was something that had been explained to me by the Hunter who discovered me and took me under his metaphorical wing for a few years. A man had to have a reason for living, something to strive for. It could be something large, such as Atem's damn insistence that we could live in peace with the wolves. Or it could be something small, such as living to see the smile of your loved one.

My purpose had been to hunt down and kill wolves. I didn't like it, but I was good at it. Good enough that there were other Hunters, children, who would never have to kill.

I had been willing to give up that purpose, to do something much smaller, something with… Something linked to Ryo. But now with him turning his back on me? With Muyo now bound to the Western Pack, and Atem allying himself with the Eastern Pack? My fingers tapped on the desk for a moment before I began to type an e-mail to Atem. His last had said something about having active Hunters start targeting what the Muto kid called "rogues"…

* * *

My rut-sack felt heavier than normal on my back. My camera case was against my hip, where I could keep an eye on it. Years of experience told me airports were the best places for experienced pickpockets. My ticket—or rather, the first in a long series of them—was in my hand, printed off at the hotel. Rather than go straight back to Kyoto, I was taking the long way home. Visiting Atem in Boston, and then Muyo in Domino. She had finally e-mailed me, and I wanted to make sure she wasn't _lying_ because that story was just unbelievable. Then… Well, back to Kyoto. The Council would have _something _for me to do, at least I hoped.

_I don't like it._

_No one asked you,_ I snarled back, not interested in what that damn voice had to say. It hurt to stay here. I hated London before, but now I despised it. Too much hurt now lingered on these streets, some from bad memories both past and closer to the present, and now good that would rip at me like a switch blade. I was an idiot for letting emotions get involved.

I hadn't braved security yet. It was always a hassle, even when you are a Hunter and get to go around most of the procedures, such as metal detectors and the "no weapons on the planes" law. Instead, I examined the outgoing flights chart absently. My flight was on schedule for Boston, not delayed in the slightest despite it being October. That was a blessing from Saya herself. I tried to cheer myself up with that piece of news, but unfortunately my heart and gut remained down at my shoes.

"BAKURA!"

My head snapped to the side at the sudden calling of my name, my mouth running dry. It wasn't possible was it? No, it couldn't be.

It was.

Ryo paused a few feet away, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. I tried—painfully tried, but ultimately failed—to not notice the messenger bag swung over his shoulders. He never carried that thing around except for classes. Why did he have it now?

He lifted his head, and all I saw was the gem in his forehead had gone from clear and white to glassy and black. Identical to Muyo's. I swallowed and took one step forward, saying his name softly.

It was the only invitation he needed. I soon had my arms full of adolescent Moon Child, clinging to me as if I was going to disappear from in front of him. I'm sure my grip on him was just as firm, if not more so. My throat felt thick, and I closed my eyes, just wanting to hang on to this memory. "What happened?" I finally asked gruffly.

"I had to talk to my father, and convince him to let me go," he told me, his voice muffled in my sweater. "If I had stayed a member of the pack, my father's heir no less… We would have had a target on our backs." He raised his head and looked at me, brown eyes wide. I was quiet, cupping his cheek gently with my hand. The dark tan of my skin contrasted starkly against his porcelain.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I finally asked, unable to keep the slight accusation out of my voice.

"You would have tried to stop me!" he shot back, obviously not cowed by me anymore. He looked to the side, trying to put his words together I suppose. "I don't want you to have to suffer anymore, Bakura. And we would have, if I hadn't resigned. The next lunar eclipse… Our fate would have been sealed."

I stared at him in quiet disbelief. He had been trying to put me first. It was the first time anyone had ever done that. Not even Muyo or Atem…

_Don't just stand there!_

My inner wolf knocked me back to my senses. Shaking my head with a grin, I forced Ryo to take a few steps forward, wrapping my arm loosely around his shoulders as we walked. "Well, we need to get you a ticket to Boston, then. We can straighten things out there."

"What's in Boston?" he asked, and I could tell how quietly eager he was to begin traveling with me.

"An old buddy," I replied vaguely, not wanting to freak him out by telling him it was the current (and hopefully staying that way) Leader we were going to go see. While in line for a ticket, I made Ryo pause. I hadn't gotten my first kiss yet, and by-damn I was going to get it. He tasted just as sweet as I thought he would, and he smiled dazzling when I pulled away.

We were going to have to learn about each other, but at least we would be together, right? My inner wolf crooned in contentment, and on the plane I smiled as Ryo fell asleep with his head leaning on my shoulder. Right.

**Closer: I TOLD YOU it was short! But they are done, for the moment. Let me know if there was something I forgot to cover, I think I've got it all. Time line will be mentioned in the epilogue so you can place all of this, I know they all bounce around like nuts.**

**Translations:**

**NONE!**


	20. Chapter 20: Kaiba

**AN: *rubs eyes* It's over? I mean, aside from the epilogue, it's over? *walks away wailing in despair, disbelief, and relief***

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Chapter Twenty: Kaiba**

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

Her blood was still fresh in my mouth, what little I accidentally swallowed when I bit her. Absently, I reached up to check that there wasn't any running down the corner of my mouth. This was technically my first time bringing a loner into the pack, and I hadn't been prepared for it.

Her memories were currently super-imposed on to mine. Sad to say, it took a second look most of the time to tell them apart. The abuse she suffered was parallel with mine. Not that could shake what she was out of the forefront of my mind.

_Hunter._

_Seto, maybe we should— _my inner wolf tried to talk to me, but I wasn't having any of it.

"Why? Why would a Moon Child breed with the very thing that kills it?" A suicidal one was my first thought, but I doubted that was the actual answer. "What kind of abomination are you?" I spat out, when she didn't answer my first question.

She didn't answer that question either. Yukimura—that was her real name, Yukimura Muyo—had fallen to my feet like a disobedient pup and hadn't really moved since. Her memories shifted in me, and something protested her name. The shadow of her own inner wolf, perhaps? I wasn't sure, but… Her step-mother named her? That didn't sit right with me either. I scowled darkly, not liking the mystery.

"What do you want me to say?"

Her voice, quiet and resigned, wasn't the girl I was used to. It appalled me, how submissive she was acting. _Try goading her_, my inner wolf suggested, and I took the suggestion and ran with it.

"How can you kill your own kind?" I asked hatefully, expecting her to immediately leap to the Hunter's defense.

I was surprised when she barely blinked. "Which one?" The hint of sarcasm was the only sign of her real personality—or what I thought was her real personality—that I saw. "The wolves want the Hunters dead, the Hunters want the wolves extinct."

"Don't harp philosophy at me."

Her dry laugh wasn't humorous. "I haven't killed at all, or haven't you figured it out yet?" she asked, and some of her old spark entered her as she raised her head slightly. I couldn't make eye contact with her yet, but at least she wasn't staring at the floor anymore. The sapphire where there was once obsidian was like a slap in the face. "I'm the Yukimura's little spy. It's the only use I have to them."

I slowly shook my head, the self-hatred in her voice shocking me to the core. How can someone hate themselves so much? But her memories didn't lie. She had been conditioned to think this way, to think that she was just a tool to her precious older brother's will. Older half-brother, not the younger half-sister I had been led to believe. My anger flared again at the deception, even as I wondered what secrets Rebecca was taking with her back to Kyoto. Viciously, I dug through the memories to find more about her brother.

What I saw almost made me ill. She idolized the man who ordered the murder of every Moon Child killed by a Hunter. He couldn't do wrong, not in her eyes. The backhanded affection he gave her almost made it worse…

"Not to your precious 'Onii-sama,' I take it," I sneered, and couldn't help but be thrilled when she stiffened at my words.

"You leave him out of this," she half-snarled at me.

"You're fixated on him," I continued anyway, smirking when she growled at me. She couldn't attack me now without sacrificing her own life, and knew it. "All because he shows you a little kindness, contrary to all those bastards that make up the rest of your lot. And you stayed because of him. Or so you told yourself. Was it really because you didn't have the courage to run away?"

_Seto…_ my inner wolf said warningly, unrepentantly bringing up the fact that _I _had stayed with Gozaburo because of Mokuba. I flinched away from my own memories, and instead focused on hers again. Where was her mother, anyway? That she-wolf had just as much to answer to…

Nothing. Her memories only reached back to when she was seven, those that were still clear, and even those were a little muzzy. Before that, everything was disjointed. She had little things that others told her. They shared the same eyes, her mother wasn't from Japan, her mother wasted away when… When they killed her father. Moon, did these Hunters have no sense of mercy? They killed their own leader rather than have him soil their precious bloodlines! And rather than put the poor she-wolf out of her misery, they let her waste away.

"Your mother," I said coldly, "What was her name?"

Yukimura flinched, and lowered her eyes to the ground again. "It's not important."

"I say it is!" I snapped back. "What is it?"

Resolutely, she stayed silent, and my temper finally frayed. With a snarl, I reached down and grabbed her by the back of her shirt. I used the leverage to throw her across the office till her back was against the wall. Before she had time to react, I used my arms to cage her in. Vaguely, I registered the sting in my palms as I slammed them against the wall next to her head. "Her name!" I bit out, my eyes narrowing.

She pointedly glared right back at me, her mouth pursing in pointed silence.

There was only so much of her insolence I could take. Ignoring my inner wolf shouting at me, I moved one of my hands to wrap around her throat, pressing warningly into her windpipe. She gasped and raised her hands, fighting my strength and clawing at my hand. I resolutely kept in place, even when she broke skin and blood tickled down the back of my hands and wrists. It took effort to keep my face still, to not move my hand as she struggled for air. This wasn't the first time I had used violence to assert my dominance. That didn't stop me from hating doing it. "Her name," I repeated my demand, only to scowl. My voice had unconsciously softened, just when I needed it to stay firm.

She stared at me desperately, and I saw her will finally cave. "Kisara…" she breathed out, and I agreeably dropped my hand. Gasping for breath, she leaned against the wall, trying to reorient herself even as I still trapped her against the wall.

_She's ashamed of her mother, smart ass,_ my inner wolf instantly began to reprimand me, _She kept her mother's name secret for—did she say _Kisara?

_It isn't the same,_ I snapped back.

It was silent, but I could feel his caution. Reluctantly, I agreed with it. I had to make sure… "Kisara what?" I asked, proud when my tone became cold again.

Yukimura wouldn't look at me. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted completely down. Those silvery white bangs accusingly tried to hide her from me, and I saw that her hand was at her throat. The blood-stained flesh tightened as fresh blood began to leak from the wound I had given her. However, she answered me finally, her voice hoarse, "Kisara Crawford."

I went numb all over again. It barely registered when I walked to my desk and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to her to press against her neck. She didn't look up, which saved me for the moment, as I tried to realize exactly what this meant.

Kisara Crawford was the dead sister of Pegasus Crawford, the potential heir for the Northeastern Pack. There had never been word about how she died, and certainly nothing about a daughter.

_Seto, wait…_ My inner wolf had my ear, and he said softly, _Don't you remember? The funeral…_

I hated remembering the funeral.

_It wasn't raining, yet. It was just a drizzle, enough to make you damp and cold._

_I wasn't cold._

_I couldn't fell anything, except the lump in my throat._

_The priest and the doctors said Haha-ue and Chichi-ue were in those boxes, and they couldn't wake up and come out like they were asleep. They weren't going to come back. And I had to stand here and shake hands with everyone who came to say they were sorry that this was so. People I didn't know, or kinda remembered visiting my parents after Mokuba was born…_

_My head twisted to look at the toddler in the arms of a maid of Gozaburo's. He wasn't aware of what was happening, he was too little. Lucky him._

_"Daijoubu?"_

_My attention snapped forward, and I was met with the brightest blue eyes I've seen since Mother's. "__Ah… Ano… Daijoubu," __I replied slowly, having to recall my manners. The one asking was a girl about my age, with inky black hair like Mokuba's, except for a shot of white bangs in the front. She beamed at me, and I couldn't help but notice she was missing a front tooth on her upper jaw. Someone had put her hair into big, curly ponytails high on her head, and her black dress didn't look nearly as stiff as this stupid suit Gozaburo forced me into_

"_That's good," she replied with a firm nod. "Are you Mokuba or Seto?"_

"_Seto," I replied, feeling like I was waking up._

"_Seto-kun, then," she said with a clap. "Good, now I know who to ask Maman if they can visit." Her expression changed to concern. "That would be alright, wouldn't? For you to come visit us at our apartment or at the park?" There was the slightest of pout in her mouth, as if she would be upset if I said no._

_I glanced at her forehead, and belatedly noticed that it was an emerald set in her forehead rather than a sapphire. She was from another pack then, with her parents. She must be without any other pups to play with. Slowly, I nodded in agreement. I could consider it, right?_

"_Mutsuko-chan, there you are," a gentle, older voice said as a pale hand, as pale as the little girl's skin, rested on the girl's shoulders. The other was holding an umbrella up over the woman's head as well as Mutsuko—if that was the girl—so they were dry. I looked her up and down, taking in that her hair was white like her daughter's bangs, though more orderly in some sort of bun. Her eyes were the same as Mutsuko's too. "Hello, Seto-kun."_

"_Hello," I replied softly. She was so pretty, it made me feel small._

_She smiled at me kindly, then Mutsuko tugged at her mother's hand. "Maman!" she said, and the word was strange to me, as was the sudden accent she got. She rambled a set of syllables at her, and I saw the woman think before replying equally soft. Mutsuko squealed, and suddenly lunged at me. I stiffened instinctually as she hugged me, but I didn't shove her away. It felt good to be hugged again. "Maman said that you could come over sometime!" she said with a beam, and I realized that she must have asked her mother a question in another language._

"_Mutsuko-chan, Oncle Pegasus is waiting," her mother gently chided, and I ignored the strange word as Mutsuko reluctantly let go, waving good-bye to me as her mother led her away, leaving me cold and alone again. They never called for me to come over and play…_

I pulled myself from my memories as I propped myself on my desk, mind whirling. That little girl that day… It had been this girl, Yukimura Muyo. How could I have missed the similarity?

_Selective memory, and the fact that she's grown up._

I didn't dignify my inner wolf with a response. Instead, I closed my eyes. Her memories were still overwhelmingly sharp, and now my own memories were in turmoil. I couldn't think clearly. "Get out," I ordered tensely, barely feeling my mouth move.

"Nani?"

"I said _get out_!" I growled without looking at her. There wasn't a sound till the door shut with a quiet click. A quick look around the room assured me that she had indeed left, and I was alone again. Judging by her track record, she wouldn't come back of her own violation again.

* * *

My foot bounced up and down from where my ankle was setting on top of my opposite knee. I rested my chin in my hand as I continued to try to make sense of everything I learned, but it proved impossible. It had been four days since I brought Yukimura into the pack, and I had tried to push her out of my mind, or reason away the parts of her I now had with me, though thank the Moon they were growing softer every day. A temp had been found to fill in for her while she supposedly took time off for family reasons. Akira hadn't bought it, but she had been quiet once I stopped acknowledging her questions.

Still, something about the memories I had bothered me whenever I had a moment to spare. Her adoration and blind-devotion to her brother left me unable to comprehend Yukimura's thinking. I had never seen anybody like it before.

"Ani-ue?"

I compliantly twisted my head down to look at Mokuba where he was sitting on the floor. He had been playing a video game, some sort of fantasy RPG, but now I saw I had his complete attention. "Hai?" I replied, wondering what he wanted.

"The gaming convention is this weekend, including Friday… You remembered, right? I know Onee-sama put it on the calender for you…"

He was so hesitant to ask me to take time off to accompany him to that. I didn't smile, but I nodded my head to showed I remembered what he was talking about. "I'll make sure that nothing else was overlapped with it," I replied, rather than promising to go. Miz—Yukimura had been very careful about that, but I wasn't sure about the temp currently filling in for her.

He nodded slowly to show he understood.

I quirked a brow as I glanced at the digital clock on the DVD player. "Is your homework done for tomorrow?"

"Just have a stupid short story to read," he replied flippantly. My other eyebrow raised to meet its twin in an expression I knew Mokuba was familiar with. He sighed and gave me a hug. "Yes, Ani-ue, I'll go finish it." I returned his hug with one arm, and then he was racing up the stairs to his room.

"Kaiba-sama?"

I twisted my head to meet the hesitant gaze of one of the twins, Suzuki I believe. She was wringing her hands, obviously not wanting to upset me by whatever it was she had to say. My silence was enough of a clue for her, so she blurted out, "Mokuba-sama would be devastated if you didn't go with him to that convention. He understands that you are very busy, and it is hard for you to step away from work—"

"Suzuki, I know," I snapped, and she bowed her head in difference to me before leaving.

_Seto… Just now… Who did that sound like Suzuki was describing?_

Not sure what he was getting at, I replied, _Mokuba._

_And who else?_

Now I was just confused. Where was it trying to lead my thinking? Mokuba and I were family, of course he wanted me to be with him for something important in his life. My work kept me so busy, and his school work kept him occupied, that between the two we were rarely together which just made the times we were all that more important. We were all each other had left…

_Like Muyo and Atem._

I stared at the wall, pole-axed. My inner wolf was wrong. He had to be. There was no way that the relationship between two Hunter half-siblings was anything like… Damn.

_Akira knows her address._

This time, I took his advice without questioning it further.

* * *

The name tag on the apartment complex hadn't even changed yet. It still said Mizuno, as if she still lived there. Or, at least I hoped she did. It was a nicer complex than I ever thought she had, though the stairs were a bitch to climb up to the seventh floor with the elevator out. The balconies leading to each of the doors offered peaceful views of the street below to those who cared to look. I walked down the one leading to the door with the number that matched the one I had for Yukimura. I pressed the button of the doorbell/intercom, waiting for acknowledgement.

There wasn't one.

A touch of panic entered when I pressed the button again and there still wasn't a response. Had she already left, with so little warning? Why? I reached for the doorknob and almost rolled my eyes. It was unlocked. Why wasn't I surprised? At least I knew she was either home or out for a moment. The property manager would have locked the door if no one was living here.

The door swung open with little urging but with a loud squeak of protest. So much for being sneaky. She must leave it that way on purpose, so no one can take her by surprise. Slowly, I felt myself becoming further impressed with her, the true her that I only roughly knew. I didn't bother taking off my shoes in the entry way, walking past the kitchen and into the empty room I assumed had been a living room, before all of the contents had been moved out. There was one room that when I checked inside, I saw that it was empty as well. Small, I guessed it was an office back when Rebecca was here.

The empty state of the apartment was worrying me. I left the living area and entered a small hallway. One door led to yet another bedroom, this one absent any windows. Rebecca's, I guessed, since Muyo hated enclosed spaces with only one point of entry and exit. She wasn't afraid of them, but she didn't like being them unless she had to.

It wasn't until my inner wolf nudged me that I realized I had thought of her by her given name for the first time. Swallowing, I pushed the thought of my head before closing the bedroom door quietly and opened the next.

There she was. In the leathers I knew she wore for riding, her dark hair in a braid down her back. I vaguely saw that she was in a punk-like top again, and that she had either freshly pierced or just started wearing earrings again in the shell of her left ear, a trio of simple hoops. She was leaning against the ledge framing the window of the slightly larger bedroom and looking out it absently, the saddle bags from her bike at her feet, fully packed, with her helmet and leather jacket draped over them.

"Where are you going?"

I didn't realize I had asked it till she answered quietly. "Don't really know. I figured the sapphire would change back to obsidian soon, and then I could go somewhere else…"

"Not back to the Yukimura home?"

She shook her head in the negative. "There's nothing for me there," she replied softly, "Onii-sama is going to make it so the Hunters are more like normal humans, with only those who show a talent for Hunting being put to use as policemen of sort for your kind. I… My inner wolf won't let me Hunt, even if I wanted to, and I won't spy again."

"Not that anyone will believe you again anyway," I unnecessarily felt the need to add. She flinched, taking the rebuke with little complaint. Hesitating, I said softly, "Mokuba is going to miss you."

Muyo blinked, and I saw her expression change minutely. "I'll miss him too," she admitted, almost reluctantly. "But he has you, and the twins…"

I swallowed, my mind racing, trying to find a way to make her react while at the same time tell her what I needed to say, what my inner wolf had been telling me for weeks now. At first, I opened my mouth to say something about Akira, but instead what came out was, "Mutsuko." It was her real name, I knew that and it wasn't what bothered me. Instead, it was the tone. It was the one I used for Mokuba, if not stronger.

Her head whipped around, and she stared at me with wide eyes, slightly glassy. "What… What did you just call me?" she asked, her voice barely refraining from breaking.

"Mutsuko," I repeated, not changing my tone at all. She was breathing slightly unsteady. "It's your birth name. We met once, when you were young. I… I thought you forgot about me. But instead, you were being orphaned, like Mokuba and I, and left to the care of your older brother. You forgot because of time and stress, not because you didn't care." The words were pouring out of my mouth, and I couldn't stop them.

She stared at me, before finally asking, "Why are you here?"

"I…" Now I hesitated. Did she want to hear it? Would she understand? "I wanted to make sure you hadn't left. I wanted…"

_Seto!_

The sharp tone of my inner wolf finally made me say it. "I wanted you to become a permanent part of my pack."

It was dead silent for a minute. I was in shock that I said that, she was in shock that I said that.

The next thing I knew, I had my arms full of she-wolf, her arms tight around my waist. It took me a moment to relax my stance, to wrap one arm around her waist and place the other hand against the back of her head. We had so much left to figure out, so much to understand about each other. But I wanted to find out. I wanted her to find out. My spine eased further, and I hid my face in her hair, absorbing more of her scent so I could never forget it. This was a start. A start we both deserved.

**Closer: WHY are Kaiba's chapters always the LONGEST when he is one of the QUIET characters? It makes NO sense! Ugh, oh well. Here it is, my darlings. After this, I need to focus on my original short story for a little while (not sure how long that will last, but I WILL be done by the end of February), and then I will be writing chapters in the other three, abandoned stories in the priority list on my profile before I write the epilogue here. But at least you all have some closure yes? Thoughts, opinions on this chapter are most welcome!**

**Translations:**

_**Japanese:**_

**Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City (I know, canon says it's most likely a Tokyo suburb, but I needed it more south!)  
Onii-sama—big brother  
Haha-ue—Mother  
Chichi-ue—Father  
Daijoubu/?—Are you okay?/I'm okay  
Ano—Um  
-kun—honorific applied to the names of boys, one of familiarity and usually for those of the same age or younger; is usually considered cutesy when applied to teens  
-chan—cutesy name for children and adolescent girls  
Nani—what  
Ani-ue—big brother  
Hai—Yes  
-sama—honorific, given to one of high status  
Onii-sama—big brother**

_**French:**_

**Maman—Mommy  
Oncle—uncle**


	21. Chapter 21: Epilogue

**AN: Alright, my period of mourning is over. Here is the final chapter. This has been a fun ride, I've loved all of you who have read (and double to those of you who reviewed). I'm going to take a break for a little while before I write Hunter's Moon and Eclipsed by the Moon to work on other stories (one is another YGO fic), but they are DEFINITELY on the list, and I will get to them! For now, enjoy your epilogue, and my love for all of you all for reading all of this.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter Two**

**Wolf's Moon Epilogue**

_**Boston, Massachusetts**_

Hurrying down the sidewalk, Yugi Muto worked hard not to trip on the sidewalk in his excitement. You would think he would be used to this, but… No, everyday was still fresh, like it would change the minute he left in the morning.

The pub was just now opening up for the dinner hour. He could smell his mother's cooking in the kitchen, and his stomach rumbled. Oh, if only Archeology Club hadn't run late. He was hyper aware of how empty his stomach was minus his usual afternoon snack. The bell chimed merrily as he opened the door, and the few customers turned to look at him.

As did a pair of heads behind the bar. One was identical to Yugi's, and the crimson eyes below it grew warm as soon as they locked with his. Atem Yukimura was quietly happy to see his lover. However, the other person was the first to have his attention.

"Yugi, Yugi!" cried the young boy, his mop of brown hair getting more rumbled as he hopped over the bar and ran to his younger foster father. "Yugi, you're late! Atem was getting anxious!" The scolding was funny, since the boy was barely seven years old.

However, the young Moon Child didn't mind it. After all, he thought, Seth was only a pup. Ruffling his hair, he made sure to meet with blue-violet eyes that were all eager excitement. "Well, I'll have to remember to call next time," he said apologetically. Seth beamed at him before backing off as a sixth sense told him his other foster father was right behind him, waiting his turn to great his partner.

Beaming, Yugi stood up and let Atem wrap his arms around him in greeting. While not as affectionate in public as he would like, the younger boy appreciated these quiet moments, as Atem continued to adjust to who he really was.

"Oi, love birds! Some of us want food!"

Yugi flushed as one Moon Child added a crude statement to the other's call, but Atem's reaction was a hiss and a warning glare at the pair. If anything, Atem was proof that the new compromise being hashed out between the Hunters and the Moon Children could work. He was perfect at his job keeping peace in the pub and picking up slack where Mrs. Muto needed him to because Yugi was stilling wrapping up his last year of high school. Seth was such a big help with that, the younger pup being an orphan who had needed someone as strongly as Atem needed someone to protect with his sister halfway around the world.

_Yep,_ though Yugi to himself as his inner wolf rumbled in contentment. _Things were going to be just fine_…

_**Corsica, France**_

Leaning back on the warm sands, Ryo sighed softly. He might burn a little, but the sun was just calling him a little too strongly for him to care.

Till the hat hit him in the face.

Sputtering, he lifted the straw hat he vaguely recognized and stared as Bakura looked down at him, his own olive skin looking natural in the light. "You are going to burn so bad, _bebe_," he said teasingly, but his eyes were serious. His British accent didn't conflict with the Cajun slang, but only because he subtly changed his tone. It had become a joking turn of endearment between them, a sort of nod to how they met.

"Well maybe if we went somewhere that wasn't sunshine 24/7," Ryo complained, but to contradict Bakura his eyes weren't the least bit serious.

Shaking his head, the other man stretched out next to him. "People are going to start thinking you're bonkers, talking like that," he warned him, his tone light as he looked at the sparkling waves. "Is this supposed to be a hint? Ready to settle for a time, do some gallery selling?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ryo replied with a sigh, reclining back on the warm sand again. "This has been pretty nice…" Another reason why Bakura could be asking crossed his mind. "Are we running short on funds?"

The other white-haired man snorted in reply to that, a non-verbal response that Ryo chose to translate to mean that the Hunter's savings hadn't even had a solid dent made in it.

"So why the rush?"

Ryo felt both his eyebrows raise as Bakura both looked wickedly amused and highly annoyed at the same time. What on earth could have sparked that reaction in him? "Heard from Muyo," Bakura finally drawled, and the younger boy sat up straighter at the mentioning of their "little sister" in Japan...

_**Canberra, Australia**_

"Duke!"

Both of his brows rose in a mock-surprised expression. "What?" he drawled, obviously well aware of what had her upset but not about to budge on his stance about it.

However, Serenity did look rather cute with that pout on her face.

"Give me back my book!" she demanded of him, holding her hand out demandingly. "I have a test in that art theory class tomorrow!"

Duke barely blinked as he replied patiently, "And you've been squinting for the past thirty minutes, even with the glasses. So come on, snack and walk break." She continued to pout at him, but when he didn't lower the book, she finally stood with a huff and stalked off towards her bedroom. Smirking, he tucked in her bookmark so he would be able to find her place later when he read to her before he tucked the heavy text away on the bookshelf. He had just grabbed his set of the apartment keys and his wallet when she exited her bedroom with her purse. "Gyros?" he suggested, grinning when she wrinkled her nose. "It's that or the salad place, everything else is closed at this hour."

"Gyros it is," she hurried agreed, making him laugh. Albeit, they both agreed that salads were nothing but water, but it was always funny to see her reaction to them.

She had grown so much, away from her family's influence. Even if she still winced when she looked in the mirror and saw a piece of obsidian in place of a peridot. It made him feel warm, even against the slight chill that now existed between him and his own family after the heard his decision. "Alright, then, let's get going," he said, before clownishly offering her arm like a gentleman from olden times. She giggled, but took the subtly hidden help and linked arms with him so he could lead her down to the street.

_**Domino City, Japan (Kyūshū)**_

Humming to herself, Muyo smiled as she finished the bento. Carefully sliding the familiar box into the furoshiki along with a bottle of water, she began a mental countdown.

"WAAAAIEEEE!"

At one, the loud shout came from downstairs. And she didn't look the least surprised. She just shook her head and sat the cloth bag next to the satchel waiting on the breakfast bar-the one where breakfast was rarely eaten. Instead, the woman moved a plate of Western-style breakfast foods to the place set on the table of sunroom-like dining nook.

"Onee-sama, why didn't you wake me?"

"I did," Muyo replied calmly, as a very rumbled Mokuba ran into the kitchen. "You argued with me." The subtle punishment for speaking out to the alpha female was accepted with a wince. She didn't seem angry, and instead gestured for him to sit.

Mokuba threw himself into the one chair set, and with a rapid, "Itadakimasu!" began to shovel food in his mouth. He almost choked, though, when his hair was suddenly tugged. "Onee-sama!" he garbled in annoyance.

A rap to the head with the hairbrush she held reminded him of his manners. "Focus on your food," she scolded before resuming the task of pulling his hair into a neat tail at the base of his neck. Finishing with a pat on his shoulder, Muyo let him be to start cleaning up the kitchen.

Roland entered the kitchen through the back door and hovered in the doorway. "Ohayo, Muyo-san, Mokuba-san," he greeted them gruffly, rather than risk another scolding from his boss's girlfriend.

"Ohayo," she returned his greeting with a small smile before saying warningly, "Mokuba-kun, you are going to be late…"

"Hai," he answered, hurriedly shoving his last piece of toast into his mouth. He was resigned when he saw Muyo standing by the counter. She straightened his tie, tugged disapprovingly at his rolled-up shirt sleeves and shirt tails hanging from beneath his sweater vest, but otherwise let him be. He swiped his satchel and took the offered bento with a bow. "Arigato, Onee-sama," he said politely lest he get another whap with something heavier than a hairbrush when his brother found out, before darting out the back door. Muyo and Roland shared amused nods before he followed at a more sedate speed.

It was a familiar routine, as was her quiet morning translating a book of French poetry she was editing freelance, before she began to cook again. Just as she was finished gathering refrigerated items with the freshly heated, Roland arrived to take her to Kaiba Corp. He waited patiently as she packed the two-person bento into a bag, before escorting her to the town car, passing by her motorcycle which was curiously covered for the winter despite the warm weather.

A few employees nodded or greeted her on the trip upstairs. The story had been that Muyo was a protected witness, as was Rebecca, so they had lived together till the case settled and Rebecca could safely return to her family. Muyo's immediate resignation and then new status as being in a relationship with the boss had set the gossip mill into overload, as well as changing the way many of her former co-workers now treated her. One woman Muyo remembered being quite catty about her riding leathers complimented her insincerely on her summer dress and cardigan. Between her teeth, Muyo thanked her before hurrying to Seto's office before she hurt someone.

Akira beamed when she saw her friend enter their previously shared space. "He _just_ finished with a meeting, it's perfect for a lunch break and chat." She pointedly looked where a sniffly young woman was packing up her office, formerly where Muyo had worked.

Rolling her eyes, the half-Hunter muttered while shaking her head, "I'm picking the next one." Her friend snickered, but led her into the office.

Seto looked up from the pile of briefs on his desk and barely refrained from smiling. "No leather? You took the car today?"

She sniffed as she walked over to his casual meeting area, with a coffee table perfect for a quick lunch. "Hello to you too," she quipped, "And yes, Roland drived. I need to give the engine a total check-up before I ride again," she needlessly explained, which set off an alarm in his head for a moment. She set the bento out into its different boxes, and as he walked over left him to settle himself on one of the couches. When she returned with a bottle of water for her, white tea for him, and the bowls and utensils they kept here for just this occasion, he refused to let her sit opposite of him, instead pulling her down so she was next to him. Not raising a fuss in the slightest, the two began to fill their bowls, but not without a good deal of teasing.

"Noodles?"

"Do you _want_ your stomach growling in the middle of the afternoon? …Hey, share the sausage!"

"…"

"Not. One. Word."

It quieted between them for a moment, but Muyo was the first to quietly point out, "You fired another PA…" as she popped a meatball in her mouth. He gave a snort in reply. Narrowing her eyes, she continued with a new edge in her voice, "You have to keep one, soon. You're too busy. Mokuba and I hardly see you except during the full moon."

"I will."

She rolled her eyes at the typical short reply and used her chopsticks to gesture as she said, "Promises, promises. _I'm_ choosing your next, those usually last at least a full month. This last barely made it for one week—" She cut herself off when she realized her chopsticks felt too heavy for them to be empty. Curious, she glanced down at them only to have to take a second look. Her mouth went dry. A platinum band with a star sapphire was hung, precariously, on them, slipped there when she rolled her eyes.

Seto took advantage of her frozen state to take the ring back and lift her off hand. "Will you?" he finished his subtle promise to commit to her.

Dumbly, she nodded and was rewarded with a slow, shy smile as he slipped the ring on to her hand.

Akira walked in just as Muyo began to recover her senses as she raised the ring to get a better look. She spotted it and began to squeal. "Oh, the timing is too perfect!" she said, clapping her hands enthusiastically, "You'll be able to have the ceremony before the baby comes!"

"Baby?" Now it was Seto's turn to look pole-axed.

Muyo leveled a glare at her friend who smiled sheepishly. "Um…Surprise?" the secretary said weakly.

He just stared at Muyo.

"Just a few weeks along," she told him soothingly, knowing what was going through his mind. He nodded dumbly in reply, mirroring her answer to his proposal, which set the two girls both into giggle fits.

"Poor Kaiba-sensei…" Akira gasped out, "Out-surprised by his own pup!"

**Closer: And with that, I leave you to mock Kaiba, and wait eagerly for me to write what happened with our other four couples as well as the one-shots that take place after this one.**

**Translations:**

_**French:**_

**Bebe—Cajun slang for "baby"**

_**Japanese:**_

**Kyūshū—the southern-most island of Japan, holds many different prefectures, including Okinawa and, for the instance of this story, Domino City (I know, canon says it's most likely a Tokyo suburb, but I needed it more south!)  
Bento—Japanese lunch boxes  
Furoshiki—cloth bags used to hold bento  
Onee-sama—big sister  
****"Itadakimasu!"—said before a meal, it literally translates to "I'm going to eat now!"****  
-san—honorific that is the equivalent of Miss, Mrs., Mr., etc…  
Ohayo—Good morning  
Hai—Yes, or in this context, Yes, ma'am  
Arigato—Thank you**

**And for those who care, here's a rough time line for the last few chapters (in case I lost anyone):**

**Chapters Fourteen/Eighteen: September  
Chapters Thirteen/Fifteen/Seventeen: October  
Chapters Twelve/Sixteen: November  
Epilogue: Summer**


End file.
